Igniting fireworks and watching them light up the sky may be fascinating to some people, but the noise may be triggering for others.
Some residents in Acadiana said it can be challenging to differentiate the sound of a firearm verses the sound of a firework.
Jeff High said he lives in Duson and will be hosting a firework show at home this year. He said location has a lot to do with the noise you hear.
"The father you get away, the more I think it's difficult to tell the difference," High said. "We live kind of on a secluded, rural area so for us, it's kind of not that big of a deal."
Lafayette residents like Damon Woodall, said he's confident he knows the difference between the two.
"Gunshots really are more loud, [compared] to fireworks," Woodall said.
According to the Lafayette Parish Police Department, if you hear a disturbing noise and you aren't sure what it is, get yourself to a safe location first, then call 9-1-1, immediately after.
"Fireworks generally are sporadic," Ken Handy, Public Information Officer for LPD said. "They don't have a necessary timing to them. However, when an individual discharges a firearm, they typically do it in a volley."
Handy said officers will then be able to assess the area and determine whether or not gun shots or fireworks are being fired.
