A plant of many uses: Impenetrable shrub for informal hedges, hedgerows. dense screens or property lines. Also effective when massed to cover slopes. Group in shrub borders. May be sheared as a hedge, but severe pruning performed after flowering will adversely affect fruit production. Espaliers trained on wall or fence. Best planted in areas where the thorns will not present a problem.
Birds love the fruit. They are greatly favored by Black Birds and Cedar Waxwings, which have been know to strip a tree of all its berries.
Here is a link to a great web page about Firethorn and includes a recipe for Pyracantha Jelly.

Firethorn is a large, evergreen shrub that is cherished for its spectacular fall and winter display of scarlet fruits and ability to withstand dry and droughty conditions. Shooting long lanky stems in all directions, firethorn typically grows into a tangled mound up to 10 feet in height and 12 feet wide. It is armed with sharp thorns that hide among the dark,glossy green leaves.

Clusters (corymbs) of small white flowers appear in spring. These are up to 2 inches across and are borne close together creating the appearance of nearly solid surface of flowers. In fall the 1/4 inch berries begin to ripen, their color mellowing from green to shades of red, orange, or yellow. These persist through winter and into early spring depending on climate and appetite of the local bird population. Under bright sunny conditions the berries are plentiful but expect smaller crops in shadier situations. The color of both leaves and berries tends to be darker in cooler climates.

Culture: Not particular about soil and requires little or no supplemental fertilization.
Light: Full sun preferred but will grow in partial to fairly heavy shade. Flowering and fruiting will not be as heavy.
Moisture: Moist to very dry, well drained soil. Hardiness: Zones 5 - 9.
Usage: Pyracantha is often used as an espalier. Held flat against a wall, it can be shaped quite creatively. Because of its fast growth rate, sprawling, spreading habit, and ease of care, it can be used on slopes to great advantage requiring little maintenance or care. The wide-reaching stems may be pruned back as needed during warm weather as the shrub blooms on old wood. Even consider using it as an informal hedge! This will require some trimming and shaping for the first few years but the effort will produce impressively beautiful and secure (thorny) hedges.

Landscapers love the firethorns for their fast rate of growth and ability to withstand drought and neglect. The shrubs ruggedness and disease and pest resistance makes this plant a very popular item in commercial landscapes.