More unrelated Missouri mayhem from Apr of this year: Missouri teen blows off hands in fireworks accident. Although as the article indicates, the kids made a pipe bomb, not a firework. Then the premature detonation of their pipe bomb pretty well did what pipe bombs are supposed to do. Oops.
I don’t know when Illinois became Karens about fireworks, but it must have been some point between my childhood and teen years. I remember, as a pre-teen, going to fireworks stands every summer. By the time I was a freshman in college (1988), we had to go to Iowa or Missouri (or Indiana if you live east of a N-S line running through Springfield).
And yes, Missouri allows municipalities to set their own rules. When I lived in Joplin there were fireworks stands aplenty once you got to the other side of the City Limits, but Og help you if you wanted to set them off (or buy them, for that matter) in town.
They must have relaxed the rules at some point after we moved away in '79. One of us, typically my eldest sibling, had to make an annual pilgrimage to Missouri all the years we lived in Kankakee County.
A friend of my dad’s would take up a collection every year and make a run to whatever fireworks stand was just across the river. One year he spent $5k!
Looks like the fireworks portion has been outsourced to actual, real professionals. Whether or not Pyrotecnico got a no-bid contract, or whether The Regime cut corners, I cannot say. But this does not appear to be the same situation as the guy who “fixed” the Reflecting Pool - viz, a Trump donor who half-assed it.
Geeze! When I was a kid, in the nanny state of Wisconsin, pretty much everything was illegal, except sparklers. They’re like the safest “firework” in existence, other than those carbon snakes, which were also legal. 6 year olds could enjoy them. And we did!
Sure you could out your eye out, but you can say that about anything.
In my neighborhood, you can hear fireworks about three times a week, all year long. Of course it gets worse for New Year’s, Lunar New Year, 4th of July, other random holidays, any kind of big sports victory, Friday, …
You drove too far up Highway 67. Once you crossed into that little section of St. Charles County near the confluence of the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers, there were some primo fireworks stands.
Fireworks are pretty much banned in Utah , and the governor ,for once , did something sensible and banned them during the previously allowed time windows.
A few people have pointed out that there are few examples of fireworks actually staring a wildfire ( most human cause are firing guns, parking cars in tall dry grass , or starting fires) but given the state is either on fire , or about to be on fire , not adding any additional risk is a good thing.
We will go and watch a drone show , apparently they are getting pretty good. I am sure some will do what they want to do , and the booze, porn, and fireworks shops just over the border in Evenston are doing brisk business.
Oh and firefighters have been threatened and received verbal abuse after the bans were enacted, I would have said that is unbelievable, unfortunately it isn’t.
I checked FL law. Flying or exploding fireworks are illegal to set off statewide except on July 4, Dec 31, and Jan 1. Then and only then you can let fly with full Florida Man abandon. But there are many year-round retail outlets with permanent buildings. So clearly more is being bought than could be set off on just 3 days.
My 'burb and one of the immediately adjacent 'burbs prohibits flying or exploding things even on those three days. The other immediately adjacent 'burb allows flying and exploding stuff those days, just not on their beach.
Historically around here you could hear bombs and see & hear skyrockets launching all over the place on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th. Plus random backyard parties year round for I suppose someone’s birthday. Or maybe a football watching party. Or just for the hell of it.