Fort Worth has a new illegal fireworks hotline, just in time for the Fourth

The city of Fort Worth has created a new hotline for reporting illegal fireworks use. Instead of dialing 911, residents should call 817-392-4444 to report illegal fireworks.

The number will be manned by more dispatchers, including volunteers, and will protect the 911 system from overloading, fire Capt. Kyle Falkner said.

"Every year we ask that the public not call 911 to report fireworks violations in order not to overload the system," Falkner said.

But the old alternative number, which is the fire department non-emergency dispatch line, had less capacity than the hotline will have, he said.

"This will be a phone bank with volunteers and it will have more lines available," Falkner said. "It adds capacity for us."

The Fort Worth police and fire departments reminded residents in a release that shooting off fireworks and guns within city limits is illegal, along with possession or sales of fireworks.

During the 2017 Fourth of July holiday, the fire department said it confiscated more than 1,000 pounds of illegal fireworks.

This story was originally published June 26, 2018 at 2:22 PM with the headline "Fort Worth has a new illegal fireworks hotline, just in time for the Fourth."