House Bill 172 was recently passed making it legal for residents to shoot off fireworks on private property on many occasions throughout the year. This law is dangerous, deadly, and a colossal mistake.

Every year millions are seriously injured due to fireworks, some of those injuries result in death. Property is damaged and caught on fire. Fireworks are tramatic to veterans with PTSD and pets. Many pets run away, are seriously injured, killed, or lost for good thanks to fireworks. Firework debris is harmful to pets and wildlife. 

People should not have to cower in their house and have to worry about firework debris all over their backyard every holiday or occasion that someone deems fit for shooting off fireworks come along. 

Fireworks should be kept to the professionals, there's nothing wrong with community fireworks, that the city arranges to be shot off by professionals, with qualifications and safety measures in place.

The general public has no training or qualifications for shooting off fireworks. They have no safety measures in place. Allowing people in neighborhoods to legally shoot off fireworks is insanely dangerous. Fireworks should be illegal, fines and consequences should be strictly enforced. Reporting fireworks violations should also be a lot easier. Removing the miniscule restrictions we did have is just asking for trouble. People didn't follow the ban before, nor were they responsible or considerate. 

Fireworks fire & injury facts
Fireworks started an estimated 19,500 fires in 2018, including 1,900 structure fires, 500 vehicle fires, and 17,100 outside and other fires. These fires caused five deaths, 46 civilian injuries, and $105 million in direct property damage.Jul 4, 2021