The 20 Atlanta Area Counties That Are the Riskiest for Fourth of July Fireworks

John Egan

Georgia lawmakers set off some fireworks in 2015.

Last year, Gov. Nathan Deal signed a bill allowing Georgians to buy and use most fireworks, such as sparklers, Roman candles and bottle rockets. Previously, the sale and use of consumer fireworks were banned in Georgia. Earlier this year, Georgia legislators modified the law to limit the hours when people can shoot off fireworks.

Risky Business

As Georgians marvel at the relatively new sights and sounds of fireworks in their yards and neighborhoods, they must keep in mind the inherent dangers.

According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, an average of 230 people a day visit ERs to be treated for fireworks-related injuries in the month around the Fourth of July.

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Gwinnett County firefighters respond to a tree fire.

Aside from the risk of injury, there’s the risk of fire. In 2011, fireworks caused an estimated 17,800 fires in the U.S., including 1,200 structure fires and 400 vehicle fires, the National Fire Protection Association says. More fires are reported on the Fourth of July than any other day of the year, according to the association.

“While fireworks are the most iconic and festive way to celebrate our country’s independence, there can be dangers if fireworks are used improperly,” says Nancy Blogin, president of the National Council on Fireworks Safety.

Considering the fire and injury hazards posed by fireworks, we decided to find out which counties in the 29-county Atlanta metro area are the riskiest for fireworks in 2016. To assess the risks, we took into account these five factors:

• Drought severity, as reported by the National Drought Mitigation Center on June 21, 2016. (Note: Drought severity usually changes from week to week.) We considered only those counties identified as having severe drought conditions -- conditions that bump up the possibility of grass and other vegetation catching fire. We then ranked each of those counties on a scale of 1 to 5, with 1 meaning an entire county is suffering from severe drought and 5 meaning very little of the county is suffering from severe drought. Our drought severity ranking makes up 25 percent of a county’s total fireworks risk score.
• Fire protection rating, as reported by the Insurance Services Office (ISO), a for-profit business. Each county receives an ISO rating based on its fire protection capabilities, with 1 being the best and 10 being the worst. The fire protection rating makes up 25 percent of a county’s total fireworks risk score.
• 2015 population, as estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau. The more residents a county has, the likelier it is that more fireworks will be set off. Population makes up 16.66 percent of a county’s total fireworks risk score.
• Square mileage, as reported by the U.S. Census Bureau (2010). The more land a county has, the more property there is that’s susceptible to fire. Square mileage makes up 16.66 percent of a county’s total fireworks risk score.
• Kids under 18, as estimated by the U.S. Census Bureau (2015). This age group accounts for more than 40 percent of all fireworks injuries, according to the National Fire Protection Association. A higher percentage of kids under 18 in a county could lead to a higher percentage of injuries in this age group. This factor makes up 16.66 percent of a county’s total fireworks risk score.

For this ranking, we included only those counties in the Atlanta area that were experiencing severe drought conditions as of June 21, 2016. Twenty counties fit into that category.

Gwinnett County operates Georgia’s largest fire service district.

Safety in Gwinnett County

Among the counties we analyzed, Gwinnett tops our list of the 20 Atlanta Area Counties That Are Riskiest for Fourth of July Fireworks. Two of the factors working against Gwinnett: It shares the highest ranking (1) on our drought severity scale and has the second highest population of the 20 counties. (See table below for full ranking data.)

Note: Our rankings are not meant to reflect poorly on firefighters and fire departments in these counties. Instead, the rankings point out where the biggest fireworks-related risks exist.

To avoid the potential for fires or injuries, the Gwinnett County Department of Fire and Emergency Services recommends attending a professional fireworks display rather than setting off fireworks in your neighborhood.

“With many opportunities available for residents to get together and view professional fireworks displays, why take any risks?” says Stephen Hrustich, fire marshal for Gwinnett County. “Firefighters are always concerned with the potential for personal injury or loss of property due to fireworks.”

Gwinnett County firefighters battle a car fire.

Charles Wells, deputy fire chief for Gwinnett County, says that around the Fourth of July, his department ramps up fire and medical staffing no matter what the weather conditions are. He says the department “is prepared to handle any type of emergency,” with personnel routinely responding to about 200 calls, such as fires and car crashes, over a 24-hour period.

But although Gwinnett County first responders are ready for any emergency, Wells urges residents to be cautious around the Fourth of July.

“No matter whether you live in Gwinnett County or not, there is always potential for injuries and fire from fireworks,” he says. “Users should fully read and understand instructions and warnings before using fireworks.”

Fortunately, Gwinnett County firefighters didn’t respond to a single fireworks-related blaze around Fourth of July last year, Wells says. “Since it rained for part of the holiday,” he says, “the fire threat was decreased.”

In this table, you’ll find the complete data for all 20 counties on our list.

County	Drought Severity	Population	Square Miles	Kids Under 18	Fire Protection Rating	Risk Score
Gwinnett	1	895,823	433	27.6%	4	8.118
Fulton	2	1,010,562	529	22.9%	3.5	6.899
Barrow	1	75,370	162	27%	5	6.387
Forsyth	3	212,438	226	29.5%	5	5.749
Henry	3	217,739	323	28.4%	4	5.584
Cobb	2	741,334	340	24.6%	3	5.246
Walton	3	88,399	329	25.6%	5	5.223
DeKalb	1	734,871	268	23.7%	3	5.192
Paulding	4	152,238	314	27.4%	5	5.081
Clayton	1	273,955	143	28.1%	3	5.017
Rockdale	1	88,856	131	27.1%	4	4.986
Coweta	3	138,427	443	25.5%	4	4.942
Newton	5	105,473	276	26.9%	6	4.913
Meriwether	5	21,190	503	22.3%	9	4.912
Douglas	2	140,733	199	26.7%	4	4.744
Carroll	5	114,545	499	24.2%	5	4.738
Fayette	1	110,714	197	23.5%	4	4.407
Cherokee	5	235,900	424	25.7%	3	4.28
Spalding	5	64,051	198	24.2%	5	4.166
Butts	5	25,593	187	21.1%	4	2.48