SIOUXLAND -
In 2010, 15,500 fires were reported in Sioux City alone. The cause? Fireworks. With the 4th of July just days away, you've probably already heard a few loud booms outside. Fireworks are fun, but they can also be very dangerous.
WARNING. That word is in bright red letters, and is on every single firework you see in Lantis Fireworks. And the employees here say, the most important bit of advice they could give someone, is to read the directions on the side of the package.
"Don't do this in an open space, don't do this by any trees. So yea, just using common sense is probably the best," employee Steveanne Knauss said.
That's why North Sioux City Fire Chief Bill Pappas says it's important to be responsible.
"Have a bucket of water handy so you can put out fireworks that may be smoldering or ones that might start a fire and spread," he said.
"If you're lighting off an artillery shell, don't put your face over the tube, don't hold things in your hand that you're supposed to set on the ground," said Knauss.
And on the legal side of things, remember, each state in Siouxland has a separate law.
If you were in South Dakota, you could light any class C firework that you want. But the minute you step over the state line into Iowa, you can't light any fireworks that go up in the air.
In fact the ONLY fireworks legal without a permit in Iowa are Sparklers, Smoke balls, and snakes. South Dakota and Nebraska are more lenient.
So remember, BE SAFE and have fun.
City of Sioux City - Iowa - Fireworks Facts and Safety Tips
https://www.sioux-city.org/press-releases/1481-fireworks-safety-a-facts
North Sioux City - South Dakota - Fireworks Sales and Use:
http://www.northsiouxcity-sd.gov/ordinances/pdfs/5.16.pdf
South Sioux City- Nebraska - Safety and Health Observances:
http://www.nesafetycouncil.org/safety-resources/monthly-observances
Firework safety tips:
http://www.fireworksafety.com/
PROFESSIONAL FIREWORK DISPLAYS:
7/3 Lewis & Clark Park
7/4 Lewis & Clark Park
7/4 Sioux City Country Club
7/6 Big Parade
7/7 Saturday in the Park
7/19 Rivercade Fireworks
