WESTPORT — Fireworks and the Fourth of July — they’re not necessarily a perfect union.

That’s according to Westport’s Fire Marshal Terrence Dunn, who has issued an advisory on the safety and legality of using pyrotechnics to celebrate the Independence Day holiday.

“It is important to understand that the only legal ‘fireworks’ items in Connecticut are sparklers,” Dunn said in the advisory.

“Sparklers are non-explosive and non-aerial devices that contain less than 100 grams of pyrotechnic material,” he added.

Sparklers are legal to use only by people 16 years old and over.

Novelty items such as party poppers, snakes, smoke devices and anything that emits a flame are not legal for private use in Connecticut. 

In addition to being illegal, exploding devices are dangerous, Dunn warned, with the potential to cause “painful and/or debilitating injuries. It’s simply not worth it.”

Sky lanterns also are illegal, the fire marshal said. They typically are paper balloons, propelled skyward by a flame. The lanterns can travel long distances and land unpredictably, such as on roofs or in trees or power lines, he said, where they can ignite a fire or cause injuries.

Dunn said people using illegal fireworks or related explosives can face legal consequences under state law.

Misuse of fireworks also poses the risk of sparking brush or forest fires, he said, particularly given the dry weather conditions that have prevailed across the region for most of this year.