The Fourth of July weekend is here. And with it comes a whole host of official firework shows around the Bay Area.

One thing to know: Several official firework displays have now been canceled following a huge explosion at a Yolo County firework storage facility, which has left seven people unaccounted for.

After Tuesday’s fire northwest of Sacramento destroyed fireworks intended for use in several firework shows across the wider Bay Area this weekend, San José announced the cancelation of the city’s Fourth of July fireworks show at Lake Cunningham. Cloverdale and St. Helena have also canceled their official fireworks displays.

And if you’re planning on buying your own fireworks, be careful. Since unofficial fireworks can cause truly dangerous situations  —  burning and seriously injuring people, sparking wildfires, and causing major property damage — fireworks are also banned in many parts of California.

In Contra Costa County for example, according to the Fire Protection District all fireworks are illegal, even if they carry the “Safe and Sane” label. “Leave the fireworks shows to the pros this holiday and protect your home, family, and neighbors,” the district’s guidance urges. (Read more on where fireworks are illegal in the Bay Area.)

Keep reading for what to know about fireworks on the Fourth of July, 2025, from where you can safely view an official firework show, tips on comforting your pets, or navigating the holiday’s sights and sounds if you are living with post-traumatic stress disorder.

Jump straight to:

• The kinds of injuries doctors see every year from fireworks
• Which fireworks are illegal in California
• Firework risks for people living with PTSD
• How to keep your pets calm on the Fourth of July

Fourth of July firework displays around the Bay Area

Fourth of July this year falls on a Friday, so most firework displays are taking place on the actual day, rather than later in the holiday weekend.

Several events may require ticketing in advance. Be sure to check the date and time of your show before heading out in case of any changes or updates to the programming.

Stay up-to-date with cancelations, too, following Tuesday’s huge explosion at a fireworks storage facility in Yolo County that has left seven people still unaccounted for, and was the intended supplier of several Bay Area firework shows. San José has canceled its Lake Cunningham firework display, after announcing in June that the city’s longstanding Almaden Lake Park firework display would be canceled for 2025 due to safety concerns, including wildfire fears.

The North Bay cities of Cloverdale and St. Helena have also announced the cancelation of their official shows following the Yolo explosion.

Some of the events listed below also include festivals, vendors, and musical performances before the fireworks show.

2025 firework displays in San Francisco 

• Fisherman’s Wharf Fireworks Cruise: 7:15 p.m., July 4
• Fisherman’s Wharf: 9:30 p.m., July 4

2025 firework displays in East Bay

• Radke Martinez Shoreline in Martinez: 9:30 p.m., July 4
• Rivertown in Antioch: 9:20 p.m., July 4
• College Park High School in Pleasant Hill: 8:45 p.m., July 4
• Mt. Diablo High School in Concord: 9:15 p.m., July 4
• Hercules Bayfront in Hercules: after dusk on July 4
• Pittsburg Marina in Pittsburg: 8:45 p.m., July 4

2025 firework displays in South Bay

• Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View: 8 p.m., July 4
• Port of Redwood City in Redwood City: 9:30 p.m., July 4
• Hyde Middle School in Cupertino: 9:30 p.m., July 4
• California’s Great America in Santa Clara: 9:40 p.m. on July 4 and July 5
• Post-game fireworks at PayPal Park in San Jose: July 5

2025 firework displays in North Bay

• Suisun City Waterfront in Suisun City: 9:15 p.m. on July 4
• Oxbow Commons Drone show in Napa: 9:30 p.m. on July 4
• American Canyon: after dusk on July 4

How personal fireworks — and bonfires — can injure or kill you

Even before considering the huge risks of sparking a wildfire (more on this below), setting off your own fireworks — even when legally purchased in one of the areas that permits them — can be incredibly dangerous.

At a 2023 safety briefing, Dr. Clifford Sheckter, Director of the Regional Burn Center at the Santa Clara Valley Medical Center, gave graphic examples of the kinds of injuries — and even deaths — that attempting to set off your own fireworks can incur. On mortar-style fireworks, Sheckter warned that “if those go off in your hand, you are losing fingers, if not your whole hand. If this goes off by your face, you could end up blind.”

And while sparklers might strike many folks as a small, innocuous kind of personal firework on July Fourth, Sheckter noted that not only are they illegal in many areas, but sparklers can also pose massive threats to children. “Kids think it’s a popsicle: They put it in their mouths, they put it near their faces, they give themselves pretty severe burns and end up on the burn unit for one to two weeks,” he warned.

Lt. Jonathan Baxter, a spokesperson for the San Francisco Fire Department, also told KQED in 2019 that sparklers are illegal in San Francisco. “Sparklers burn at 1,800 degrees, which is [hot] enough to burn gold,” he says. “So if it can burn gold, you can imagine what it can do to your hand.”

Sheckter particularly stresses the importance of not mixing alcohol and drugs with fireworks or fire, noting that “one of the most common injuries” his burns unit sees around the Fourth of July is incurred by people “mixing alcohol and bonfires.”

“If you get wasted and fall into a bonfire, you’re either going to die, or you’re going to end up severely burned and on my burn unit for the next six months,” Sheckter says, warning of so-called sixth-degree burns that can extend down into a person’s bones. Injuries from these kinds of burns, Sheckter says, are very difficult to reconstruct and often necessitate tissue grafts or prostheses. Curious children wandering around campsites and grasping coals, embers or fire pit rings are also a common source of pediatric injuries.

How personal fireworks can spark wildfires at this time of year

In 2021, over 150 fire scientists were moved enough to join many fire officials across the West in urging residents to abandon their plans to launch personal fireworks on July Fourth because of the wildfire risks.

Mishandled fireworks, specifically around the Fourth of July in California, have caused real damage in the past. In 2014, a reveler set off fireworks in Yolo County near the Monticello Dam, igniting a 6,500-acre blaze that took days to put out, injured five firefighters and drove dozens of people from their homes.

Read the full list of tips on preventing causing a wildfire with your fireworks.

The Bay Area Air Quality Management District also warned that “smoke from exploding fireworks results in elevated levels of particulate matter close to the ground, making it difficult for people to breathe, and may trigger asthma attacks, coughing, wheezing and eye irritation.”

“At the local level, personal fireworks can cause unhealthy buildup in particulate matter pollution over the July 4 holiday,” a 2023 statement reads. “‘Safe and sane’ fireworks, like those purchased at pop-up fireworks stands, contain metal salts used to produce colors and can also cause excessive smoke.”

Whether you’re planning to light up some fireworks or simply watch them from afar, here are a few safety tips compiled from experts around the state.

Know the regulations in your community

Some types of fireworks — or any fireworks at all — are illegal in California.

“A legal firework has gone under testing by the state to ensure that the characteristics of it are inherently safer than those that don’t get our safety seal,” Daniel Berlant, deputy director of community wildfire preparedness and mitigation at Cal Fire, told KQED in 2022. “Really, any firework that explodes, goes up in the air or moves around the ground uncontrollably are considered illegal fireworks.”

Check this list to find out whether fireworks are legal in your city this Fourth of July (and be sure to check the date.) Check this 2024 list to see which communities allow the sale of “Safe and Sane” fireworks (PDF).

If your community is not on this list, it is likely illegal — like San Jose, for example.

Know that in some communities, even viewing an illegal fireworks show can get you into hot water. For example, in 2023, the City of San José began “holding spectators responsible for their role in the use of dangerous and illegal fireworks” by making anyone who is “knowingly present and watching a fireworks exhibition” subject to a fine.

Fireworks are also not permitted in California State Parks or National Parks Service land.

Use only approved fireworks

Although certain fireworks are legal in much of California, the state has a zero-tolerance policy for both the sale and use of illegal fireworks, and violators may face fines of up to $50,000 and jail time.

Illegal fireworks include firecrackers, Roman candles, skyrockets, bottle rockets, aerial shells and other fireworks that move on the ground or in the air uncontrollably.

Want to do a quick check? Look for the Safe and Sane label that indicates fire marshal approval.

Plan your location wisely

As well as being sure whether fireworks are even legal in your city this Fourth of July, consider where you’re setting them off.

“We really are urging people to be extra cautious in wildland areas,” says Cal Fire’s Berlant, who notes that even in urban areas, fireworks can still spark a wildfire.

Berlant recommends you make “sure that Safe and Sane fireworks are used in areas that are cleared from vegetation” and are lit in “parking lots or in driveways that are surrounded by nothing that could catch on fire.”

Be ready to douse a fire

Never point fireworks at yourself or another person, and never attempt to relight or fix a firework that won’t light. Designate a sober, responsible adult to light up the fireworks. Light one firework at a time, far away from dry grass, and have a bucket of water or a hose handy in case something goes wrong. Also, this may sound obvious, but alcohol and fireworks do not mix well.

Properly dispose of fireworks

At the end of the celebration, all used and misfired fireworks should be submerged in water for 15 minutes and wrapped in a plastic bag to keep them from drying up. Then, toss them in the household trash. Any unused fireworks that have not expired should be kept in a cool, dry place away from children.

Firework risks for people living with PTSD

Fireworks can trigger symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in veterans or victims of gun violence.

Dr. Brian Mohlenhoff, a psychiatrist in the PTSD clinic at the San Francisco Veterans Affairs Medical Center, told KQED in 2020 that many of his patients struggle when there’s an uptick in fireworks.

Mohlenhoff says he encourages his patients to focus on the present, adding, “What I’m hoping is that after [fireworks] happen, they can quickly reorient and remind themselves that they’re in a safe place, and they’re not back there. So anything that can help with that is a good thing.”

With the inevitability of fireworks going off across the Bay Area on a nightly basis, Mohlenhoff shared advice with KQED for how people suffering from PTSD can prepare and cope.

Plan ahead (if you can)

Preparation may be more difficult if you hear fireworks going off ahead of July Fourth—instead of being confined to a single holiday. With fireworks happening at unpredictable times, knowing when to expect them is impossible.

“I think it’s harder than the Fourth of July because that random explosion is very similar to a lot of people to what it’s like on a base,” Mohlenhoff says.

If you can, try to reduce the noise by listening to music, watching a movie or playing video games with headphones on. If bright flashes also trigger you, close your curtains or blinds to block the light at night.

Focus on the present and ask for support

The most important mental health tip, Mohlenhoff says, is to ground in the present moment and remind yourself you’re safe.

You can use grounding techniques to focus on your surroundings, such as naming out loud five things you can see, four things you can touch, three things you can hear, two things you can smell and one thing you can taste.

Mohlenhoff says it can also be helpful to orient toward what’s around you and tell yourself things like, “I’m here in my home. I’m here with my loved ones. I’m here with my dog. And that boom is just the fireworks.”

Having a supportive friend or family member present (or that you can call) is often the most grounding for patients, Mohlenhoff says. It’s important for them to remind the person suffering from PTSD that they’re safe in the here and now. More tips on how to help a loved one cope with PTSD.

Download a mindfulness app

If you’re by yourself or need extra support, you can try a coaching app to guide you through grounding exercises.

Mohlenhoff recommends Mindfulness Coach, a free app created by the National Center for PTSD that offers guided meditations and coping strategies. Here is a list of more recommended apps from the National Center for PTSD.

Talk to a mental health professional

If you’re seeking professional help, the National Center for PTSD has information on how to find a therapist, counselor or mental health provider.

Here is a list of free hotlines to speak with a professional:

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
• National Institute of Mental Health: 866-615-6464
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741

Here are Bay Area centers specializing in patients with PTSD:

• San Francisco VA Health Care System
• Bay Area Trauma Center
• Bay Area Trauma Recovery Clinical Services

Fireworks and dogs: How to keep your pets calm

Fireworks are notorious for spooking animals, and shelters across the nation report an increase in lost pets every year on July Fourth.

In 2019, KQED spoke with a veterinarian from the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals for advice on keeping dogs and other pets happy while fireworks happen.

Here are her top tips:

Keep pets at home — or leave town

“It’s natural for animals to be fearful of loud noises,” Dr. Sophie Liu, San Francisco SPCA resident in behavior medicine, told KQED in an email.

Since fireworks have been so frequent, make sure your pets are secure inside your home, and you’re able to monitor them. But, if possible, she recommends going out of town with your pets for July Fourth — somewhere without fireworks, if possible.

Update your pet’s tag and microchip information

Liu says shelters often receive microchipped animals but are unable to contact their owner because the pet’s microchip information is outdated. Your veterinarian can help if you don’t know how to update this information or if you don’t remember which microchip company you used.

Recognize fearful behavior

Pets may perceive loud, unexpected noises as a threat, and running away or hiding is a natural survival instinct.

It’s important to know whether your animal is anxious in order to prevent them from accidentally injuring themselves. Animals may show signs of fear if they pant, lick their lips, whine, drool, shake, yawn, hide or do not accept a treat.

Create a safe space

“It is not uncommon to see pets trying to tear through metal crates, chew through door frames or jump out of windows,” Liu warns.

She suggests owners create a safe haven for their pets before and during fireworks celebrations.

“Choose a comfortable room without windows or where you can close the curtains. Play soothing music or use a white noise machine,” Liu says. “The goal of these tools is to help your pet relax and stay calm.”

Liu says some pets may want to hide in the bathroom due to its extra insulation, which could make a great safe space if your pet is naturally attracted to it.

Give them treats — but watch what they eat

Distract your furry friends with what they love most — treats. Even better: Try a treat-dispensing toy, like a Kong, to keep them distracted for long periods of time. “A pet that is comfortable enough to be eating is less likely to be panicked or worried,” Liu says.

But be aware of what they have access to, she warns.

“We’ve had animals come to our veterinary hospitals with severe injuries due to fireworks, including burns,” Liu says. “Pets should never be near fireworks — not only is it scary for animals, but fireworks have the potential to cause serious harm.”

Dogs may also try to eat fireworks that aren’t safely stored, which contain chemicals and heavy metals. Also, keep your canines from munching on sparklers, glow sticks, charcoal, kabob skewers and even these common foods that can be dangerous to pets.

Consider over-the-counter medication

You can try using calming pheromones to relax your pet, such as sprays for cats and collars or plug-ins for dogs.

If all else fails and your pet is exhibiting severe anxious behavior, Liu says to talk with your vet about medication options.

These tips were drawn from our 2019 story 6 Tips From a Vet to Keep Your Pets Safe on July Fourth.