Sacramento officials advise on safe disposal of fireworks and BBQ materials

(FOX40.COM) — Sacramento city officials are reminding the public about how to safely dispose of fireworks and barbecue materials after using them for their Fourth of July celebrations.

“We want to encourage residents to be extra careful when disposing of fireworks, briquettes, and propane tanks, due to the potential for these materials to cause a fire,” said Jesa David, spokesperson for the Sacramento Recycling and Solid Waste Division.

Here is how Sacramento residents can safely dispose of used or unused fireworks, according to the Recycling and Solid Waste Division:
•Completely submerge fireworks in a bucket of water
•Allow to soak for at least 15 minutes, or overnight for larger fireworks
•Double wrap the soaked fireworks in plastic wrap or plastic bags so they don’t dry out
•Placed wrapped fireworks in outside container used for trash

Safely disposing of BBQ materials

Briquettes are materials used for barbeque fuel, typically in the form of charcoal. If they’re still warm, briquettes can start a fire if they’re put inside the trash or in a garbage truck.

After grilling, officials recommend the following steps to safely dispose of charcoal briquettes:

•Spread out the coals so they do not touch
•Leave the coals overnight to cool down
•Make sure they’re fully extinguished before throwing them away in the garbage

For those who use propane tanks to grill, officials said they should be emptied and brought to a hazardous waste facility.

Residents can drop off their empty propane tanks for free disposal at the city’s hazardous waste facility at 8491 Fruitridge Road.

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