Independence Day is Wednesday, July 4 and you have probably heard fireworks going off around town over the past few days and KROX talked with Crookston Police Chief Paul Biermaier about what kind of fireworks are legal and what isn’t legal in Minnesota.
“It is that time and there is a small amount of fireworks that are legal,” said Biermaier. For starters, sparklers, wire or wood are legal. Some other ones are cylindrical fountains, which basically spews out colored sparks and smoke and it might have a whistling effect; a cone fountain that does the same thing; an illuminating torch; a wheel that is meant to be attached to a tree or post that spins fast and throws out some color and sparks and similar to that is a ground spinner that spins around fast on the ground; a flitter sparkler, which is basically a narrow tube attached to a stick or wire; and a flash or strobe that emits that really bright light and some of them might have a bang that go with it.”
Biermaier added that there are some novelty items that are legal. “Snakes, glow worms, smoke devices, trick noisemakers, poppers, snappers, all kinds of that little stuff,” said Biermaier. “Those are the things that are legal, pretty much anything that stays on the ground or stays attached to something.”
Fireworks that aren’t legal are anything that flies in the air or explodes. “Anything that is explosive or anything that goes in the air,” said Biermaier. “Firecrackers, ladyfingers, sky rockets, bottle rockets, helicopters, aerial spinners, roman candles, or anything with a hard cardboard tube attached to a base that shoots something into the air, those are not legal.”
Biermaier said even though sparklers are legal, they account for a lot of injuries each summer. “30 percent of the fireworks injuries come from sparklers. They get very, very hot. They are dangerous, but they are legal,” said Biermaier. “On average, there are 73 hospital visits each year in Minnesota due to fireworks injuries and approximately 40 percent of the fireworks injuries happen to children.”
Biermaier offered these firework safety tips. “Never light fireworks inside another container, like a pop bottle or a can; eye protection is good; never throw fireworks or aim them at another person, animal or building; light one firework device at a time,” said Biermaier. “If a device has been lit and it doesn’t go off, stay clear for a long time and let it sit there and actually soak it in water and don’t do anything else with it; never place any part of your body, especially your head over the device when you’re lighting it; never light malfunctioning fireworks, if it is a dud, leave it; it is a federal violation if you experiment with fireworks, make your own or alter fireworks in any manner.”
If you break the law and light off illegal fireworks, you can be charged and the fines are hefty. “Most of the violations are a misdemeanor, which is a $700 fine and 90 days in jail, maximum,” said Biermaier. “If you start getting into the bigger things, then you’re at a gross misdemeanor, which is a $3,000 fine and more than a year jail.”
When lighting off fireworks in town, make sure to be respectful of your neighbors and don’t light them off late at night. “Firecrackers and things like that are noisy and can be irritating and we encourage the public to call, but we also encourage the public to be aware of it and be neutral with it, especially around sunset,” said Biermaier. “If we are getting past 11 or 12 o’clock at night, absolutely call in because nobody needs to put up that. Be safe, be safe with your travel, with your alcohol intake, it’s going to be warm so keep that in mind, sunscreen and have a good time!”
LEGAL fireworks in Minnesota are listed below –
-Wire or wood sparklers of not more than 100 grams of mixture per item Other sparkling items which are non-explosive and non-aerial and contain 75 grams or less of chemical mixture per tube or a total of 500 grams or less for multiple tubes and include:
• Cylindrical fountain Upon ignition, a shower of colored sparks or smoke and sometimes a whistling effect is produced.
• Cone Fountain The effect is the same as that of a cylindrical fountain. When more than 1 cone is mounted on a common base, total pyrotechnic composition may not exceed 500 grams
• Illuminating Torch
• Wheel – Pyrotechnic device intended to be attached to a post or tree by means of a nail or string. Upon ignition, the wheel revolves, producing a shower of color and sparks and, sometimes, a whistling effect
• Ground Spinner – Small device venting out an orifice usually on the side of the tube. Similar in operation to a wheel but intended to be placed flat on the ground and ignited. The rapidly spinning device produces a shower of sparks and color.
• Flitter Sparkler – Narrow paper tube attached to a stick or wire that produces color and sparks upon ignition. The paper at one end of the tube is ignited to make the device function.
• Flash/Strobe – Emit a bright light Novelty items such as snakes and glow worms, smoke devices, or trick noisemakers which include paper streamers, party poppers, string poppers, snappers, and drop pops, each consisting of not more than twenty-five hundredths grains of explosive mixture.
– Novelty items such as snakes and glow worms, smoke devices, or trick noisemakers which include paper streamers, party poppers, string poppers, snappers, and drop pops, each consisting of not more than twenty-five hundredths grains of explosive mixture.
ILLEGAL fireworks in Minnesota are listed below-
Any fireworks that are explosive
• Any fireworks that are aerial
• Firecrackers (any size)
• Ladyfingers
• Skyrockets
• Bottle rockets
• Missile-type rockets
• Helicopters, aerial spinners, planes, UFOs
• Roman Candles
• Mines or shells (heavy cardboard or paper tube(s) attached to a base – upon ignition stars, balls or reports are propelled into the air)
• Chasers
• Parachutes
• 1.3G Display (special or class B) Fireworks
• Aerial shells
• Theatrical pyrotechnics (see Minn. Stat. 624.20 to 624.25)
Basically, any fireworks listed above are still not legal for public sale, possession or use, except with a permit and by a certified operator according to Minnesota Statute 624.20. (i.e. these fireworks are still not legal unless a permit has been issued by the local jurisdiction and they are used by a state certified operator)
