(Radio Iowa) – State Fire Marshal Dan Wood says if you plan to shoot off fireworks this holiday, take some time to plan out what you are doing to avoid any problems.

“It’s still a good idea to have that bucket of water or a hose nearby in case you have an accidental flare up of dry grass,” he says. Even with the rain we’ve had lately they’re still dry grass.” Wood says for the fireworks or bottle rockets that shoot into the air, make sure they are going to land somewhere that is safe.

“If they get near gutter on your roof and you have you know leaves up there or whatever, that can that can start a fire and be bad news,” he says. There is a large variety of fireworks available in the state with some elaborate devices that do different things. Wood says you should know what is coming before lighting the fuse. “It is always a good idea to read those instructions and make sure they are consumer fireworks. There are some fireworks out there that for whatever reason, get sold or get somehow acquired and are not consumer fireworks,” Wood says. “To be safe make sure you’re shooting consumer fireworks and leave the commercial fireworks to the professionals.”

It is legal to buy fireworks in Iowa, but local governments are allowed to ban them. Wood says to be sure and check your local regulations before shooting off any fireworks.