DES MOINES, Iowa — New fireworks laws in Des Moines are expected to result in more sales and use during the holiday week.

Fireworks are now allowed on private property in the state’s capital city on July 3rd between 9 a.m. and 10 p.m., and on July 4th between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. They are not permitted on public property, like city parks.

As a result of looser laws, fireworks retailers are now gearing up for more sales this year. This is the case for Freedom Fireworks, a locally owned business with nine tents across Central Iowa.

“At some of our locations, we did add more registers just in case to help reduce the lines. That way our customers can come right in and they can get in and get out and not have to stand in line,” said owner James Kaczinski.

One of his tents is located on Merle Hay Road in Des Moines. One of his signs is catching the attention of many commuters. The sign reads, “pre-tariff pricing.”

“We order a year in advance and when the tariffs started happening, that’s the time that most shipments start coming in. So, there were a lot of people that were hit with tariffs; luckily we were able to get underneath that,” he said.

Independence Day already results in more calls for service from firefighters. With increasing firework sales, officials with the Des Moines Fire Department say they will be adequately staffed during the holiday.

“What we’ll typically see is some injury-related calls coming in, but we’re a busy department. And with the amount of dry vegetation we’ve had here recently, even with some rain we’ve recently had, the chances of some of this vegetation catching fire are increasing,” said firefighter Ahman Douglass.

Last year, the department responded to 16 fireworks-related fires.

Apart from starting fires, fireworks can also result in injuries. Douglass said that one of the most common items people use to celebrate the 4th of July is a sparkler. They are typically considered “family-friendly,” but Douglass said they result in the highest amount of injuries.

Sparklers burn between 1,800 and 3,000 degrees Fahrenheit. Douglass recommends supervising children at all times when handling sparklers. He also recommends having a bucket of water nearby to safely dispose of the sparkler.

A citation for violating fireworks laws can carry a $200 fine, according to Des Moines Police.