NATCHEZ — Residents who plan to set off fireworks on New Year’s Eve should be aware of local ordinances and safety regulations.

Natchez Police Department Detective Jerry Ford said fireworks are not allowed within Natchez city limits, including small firecrackers, noisemakers or other potentially hazardous or nuisance-causing devices.

“There’s a lot that could go wrong,” Ford said. “With a lot of houses being so close together, certain fireworks can start fires.”

Ford also said local residents may not be able to tell the difference between gunshots and fireworks, and may either become very frightened by non-threatening explosions or perceive no danger in the face of a potential violent crime.

Residents who are caught playing with fireworks in the city limits may be cited, Ford said.

“We just want to warn people not to do it and hope they will go to a safer environment to (use fireworks,)” Ford said.

The public is invited to the bluff to watch a professional fireworks show over the Mississippi River starting at 10 p.m. today.

Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office spokesman Vernon Stevens said Vidalia makes special exceptions to its ban on fireworks for occasions like New Year’s Eve, Christmas Eve and July 4.

Residents of Vidalia and Concordia Parish should practice common sense and courtesy, Stevens said.

“(Residents should) be cautious in what they buy,” Stevens said. “You can buy pyrotechnics, and then you can buy explosive pyrotechnics.”

Stevens said the risks of small sparklers, firecrackers, and lighted toys are real, but much smaller than those of larger explosives and bottle rockets.

“The bigger the fireworks, the more cautious you should be,” Stevens said.

Bottle rockets should be set off in a large, open area away from any buildings, especially houses, he said. The device should be able to shoot off and land in the same large area.

“People that just run off in the street and shoot the fireworks off (don’t know) where they’re going to land,” Stevens said.

Residents should also be courteous, and avoid noise disturbances late at night.

“Most people shoot them at midnight, and I would think anything past 1 a.m. would not be a reasonable time,” Stevens said.

Children should never be allowed to handle any pyrotechnics alone, Stevens said. An adult should supervise all use of fireworks, even small ones.

“I encourage the parents to be really careful in what they buy, and to know the range of the fireworks and how explosive they are and how far it’s going to go,” Stevens said.

NPD also cautions residents to arrange a designated driver and to drive carefully on New Year’s Eve.