NORTHWEST ARKANSAS — Kaleidoscopic tents and assertive posters of Uncle Sam are appearing around the area, enticing both children and adults with a recreation they can enjoy only twice a year.

Firework sales will soon begin in Northwest Arkansas. With the Fourth of July less than three weeks away, fire departments and city officials say it takes work to stay safe while celebrating.

Every city has its own ordinances that decide times and dates fireworks can be sold and set off and what kinds of fireworks are allowed.

This is the third year firework sales have been allowed within Fayetteville city limits, said Sue Butler, fire safety and education specialist with the Fayetteville Fire Department.

Since the law change, officials have not encountered any major accidents, Butler said.

“The first year, nobody kind of knew about it. They didn’t realize they could shoot them off in the city,” she said.

Each year the department prepares for more firework activity within the city, she said.

“People should proceed with caution,” Butler said. “Just because they’re allowed to be sold doesn’t mean they’re not hazardous.”

In Fayetteville, fireworks can be sold between June 28 and July 5. Inside city limits, fireworks can be used between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. July 1 to 3. On the July 4, fireworks can be used between 10 a.m. and 11 p.m., Butler said.

Firework-related injuries haven’t been common in Springdale in recent years, said Fire Department Division Chief Jim Vaughan, but other circumstances might make fireworks use dangerous.

“We could really use a good rain before the (fireworks) season is here,” Vaughan said. “If there are any burn bans on, it’ll pretty much negate fireworks.”

Fireworks can be sold between June 28 and July 5 and can be shot off between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. in Springdale city limits between July 1 through 4, Vaughan said.

Rogers city officials are encouraging people to be smart when using fireworks.

“Use common sense,” said Keith Foster, public information officer for the Rogers Police Department. “Usually our biggest problem is people shooting off fireworks before the third and shooting them off after 11 at night.”

For Rogers residents, the use of fireworks is permitted 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 3-5. Fireworks are not permitted to be sold within Rogers city limits, Foster said.

Fireworks can only be shot off July 3 and 4 from noon to midnight in Bentonville. Fire safety officials with the Fire Department have urged people to be aware of the dangers of all fireworks, including sparklers, which burn at extremely hot temperatures and remain hot after they burn out.

To avoid getting burned while using sparklers, department officials suggest keeping a container of water nearby to place the discarded sparklers in.

Bottle rockets, or stick-mounted fireworks that launch, cannot legally be used in any of the four cities.

In areas where there are no local regulations, Arkansas state code limits the sale of fireworks to June 20 through July 10 in the summer and Dec. 10 through Jan. 5 in the winter. Fireworks cannot be sold to children 12 years old or younger.