Residents of Bay Minette are encouraged to use caution when shooting off fireworks July 4.

“We want everyone to be aware that it is dry,” said Bay Minette Fire Chief Jessie Gregson. “If a fire gets out they are responsible.”

Patriots celebrating Independence Day with fireworks are only allowed to discharge them on their own land. If they’re caught on any schools, they will be ticketed, according to Gregson.

“We will not allow anyone to shoot fireworks on school property,” he said. “We had too many people shooting them last year and we had a couple of small fires.”

Also, if they’re out shooting them after 10 p.m. they’ll get a visit from the authorities.

“If we do get calls from the neighborhood, we’ll go out and ask them to stop,” Gregson said. “But if we have to go out again, they’ll get a ticket.”

Because of the holiday, the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Department is increasing patrols for the Fourth. They plan to put extra emphasis on traffic safety and catching anyone driving under the influence.

“We will have plenty of extra eyes and ears out there,” said Chief Deputy Charlie Jones. “We want everyone to enjoy the holiday.”

However, the Bay Minette Police Department won’t be stepping up patrols too much.

“Weíll be doing the usual checks for DUIs and such,” said Police Chief Michael Rowland. “We haven’t had any special requests for patrols. It’s been kind of quiet and we’re glad of it.”

If citizens want all the sparks of the show without any of the danger, they can always check out the Bay Minette Rotary Club’s 23rd annual fireworks show on July 4 adjacent to Simmons Field, behind Bay Minette Intermediate School.

Parking will be available at the school, but the stadium will not be open to spectators. The fireworks will begin approximately 30 minutes after dusk.

Simmons Field is at North White Avenue and Fifth Street.