Tuesday marked the one year anniversary of the Hornet brush fire, which burned throughout the month of July in 2011 in Carolina Forest .The South Carolina Forestry Commission says 1,374 acres was burned.
Investigators later found out the wildfire, which threatened (but never damaged) any homes, was started by fireworks.
They used the anniversary, also the day before the Fourth of July, to remind others of firework safety.
While fireworks are illegal in the city limits of Myrtle Beach, novelty sparklers are not. These are the lowest grade, least dangerous sparklers you might have played with on the Fourth of July when you were a child.
Lt. Christian Sliker with the Myrtle Beach Fire Department says they are still dangerous.
"Even though it is a sparkler, it is producing sparks. It's lit with a fire. At the end when the sparkler is done, it still has flame. That can cause a fire by getting on brush, any kind of debris," Sliker said.
Other tips from firefighters when it comes to fireworks:
Find a flat surface to light your fireworks.
Give yourself plenty of distance, several recommendations include having more than 30 feet of leeway.
Never light your fireworks in a covered area like a carport or garage.
Don't let kids light fireworks.
When it comes to disposing of the used fireworks, always place them in a bucket of water first.
Also when it comes to sparklers, which can get hot enough to melt glass, never hand them to your child while they're burning.
Sliker showed us with a heat meter that the novelty sparklers could get hotter than 500 degrees, enough for third degree burns.
Most importantly, he says, leave the big fireworks to the pros.
"Commercial displays take the danger from the novice and puts in the hands of the professionals," Sliker said.
Here's a link to the professional displays around the area Wednesday.
