Harris County fire marshal seizes illegal fireworks from home, issues citations

Harris County fire investigators pulled a large quantity of illegally stored and sold fireworks from a residential property after getting information about suspected fireworks activity there, then served a search warrant at about 7:30 a.m. Thursday and issued the property owner multiple citations.

The Harris County Fire Marshal’s Office did not identify the home, but it did release photos showing the seizure. Officials said the case involved unlawful storage and sale, a combination that matters in neighborhoods where one overloaded garage or shed can turn into a fire hazard for every house on the block.

That risk is not theoretical. Harris County fire code prohibits residential properties from storing more than 125 pounds of 1.4G pyrotechnic material, and consumer fireworks may be sold only from approved, permitted retail locations during state-authorized sales periods. Those windows run from June 24 through July 4 for Independence Day and from December 20 through January 1 for New Year’s. The county also allows additional sales periods for certain cultural and religious observances, including Diwali, which is authorized through at least 2030, subject to annual review.

Under Texas Occupations Code Section 2154.304, the state fire marshal, a fire chief, a fire marshal, deputies or a peace officer may seize illegal fireworks. Owners can contest a seizure in district court, and fireworks not returned are destroyed. Harris County Fire Marshal investigators also work with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office on criminal charges.

The timing is especially sensitive in Houston, where fireworks remain a major safety concern as the summer holiday season approaches. The Houston Fire Department says fireworks are illegal to discharge in the City of Houston, and the National Fire Protection Association reports fireworks started an estimated 32,302 fires nationwide in 2023, including structure fires, vehicle fires and outside fires, with deaths, injuries and more than $142 million in property damage.

Neighbors who see a house, garage or shed holding boxed fireworks, repeated loading and unloading, or sales activity outside the permitted dates can report suspected illegal storage or sales to Harris County 311 at 713-755-5000 or through the county’s non-emergency service portal. If fireworks are being discharged illegally in the City of Houston, call the Houston Police Department’s non-emergency line at 713-884-3131, the Harris County Sheriff’s Office at 713-221-6000, or 911 if celebratory gunfire is involved.