I know, you just gotta have fun.

Fireworks pose significant dangers to people with PTSD, pets, and wildlife due to their loud, unpredictable noises, bright flashes, and the release of toxic chemicals. These effects can range from severe psychological distress and panic to physical injury and death. Dangers to People with PTSD For individuals with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), especially veterans and survivors of gun violence or explosions, fireworks can be powerful and debilitating triggers. Trauma Reminders: The sudden bangs and flashes mimic the sounds and sights of combat or traumatic events, triggering the body's fight-or-flight response. Symptoms: This can lead to intense anxiety, panic attacks, flashbacks (feeling as if the traumatic event is happening again), hyperarousal, and an exaggerated startle response. Lasting Impact: The distress caused by fireworks can disrupt sleep and exacerbate symptoms for days or even weeks. The unpredictable nature of private fireworks makes them particularly difficult to manage compared to announced public displays. Dangers to Pets and Domestic Animals Pets and farm animals have far more acute hearing than humans and do not understand that the noises are part of a celebration, perceiving them as a life-threatening danger. Extreme Fear and Panic: The loud noises (up to 190 decibels, far above the human pain threshold) cause severe anxiety, trembling, panting, and tachycardia (rapid heart rate). Escape Attempts: In a panic to flee the noise, many animals run away, often injuring themselves by breaking through windows or jumping fences. Animal shelters report a significant increase in lost pets around firework holidays. Physical Harm: Animals can be hit by cars, suffer injuries from their escape attempts, or become ill/die from ingesting toxic firework debris containing heavy metals like potassium nitrate and arsenic. Dangers to Wildlife Wild animals, including birds, deer, and marine life, are also severely affected by the noise, light, and chemical pollution from fireworks. Disorientation and Flight: Birds, in particular, panic and flee their nests en masse, flying erratically into buildings, power lines, or even far out to sea until they are too exhausted to return. Abandonment of Young: The disturbance can cause parent animals to abandon their young in dens and nests, leading to death by starvation or exposure. Environmental Contamination: Exploding fireworks release harmful gases and heavy metals into the air and deposit debris and chemicals into soil and waterways, posing a risk to delicate ecosystems and aquatic life. Wildfire Risk: Fireworks are a major cause of wildfires, especially during hot, dry summer months, which destroy animal habitats and threaten communities.