Leader Staff
The Fourth of July weekend has arrived with the usual holiday festivities, including parades, brat and burger picnics, fireworks displays and, of course, fireworks of the illegal variety.
Shawano police and Shawano County sheriff’s deputies have already logged numerous fireworks complaints over the past week, in spite of the possibility of fines being levied for their use.
Both the city and the county have fireworks ordinances on the books prohibiting the use of anything that shoots up into the air and/or explodes.
The ordinances are in line with state statutes that make those type of fireworks illegal to use, even though they are legal to buy and sell for licensed dealers.
Sparklers, confetti poppers, snakes and noise makers are among the legal variety, with no age restrictions for their use.
Anything that contains more than one-fourth of a grain of explosives falls into the illegal category.
In some municipalities, permits are available. In Shawano, for example, a permit costs $50, and you’ll also need $1 million in liability coverage.
Police Chief Mark Kohl said those permits are usually requested for events such as block parties and family reunions.
Even with the fireworks permit, there must be adult supervision of their use. There also must not be any fire hazard nearby and some way to extinguish the fire if one breaks out.
In the city, use of illegal fireworks without a permit can net a fine of $189 for the first offense and $313 for the second.
However, Lt. Dan Mauel said, most users are let off with a warning the first time.
A warning is also typically the first response for sheriff’s deputies, but the county’s ordinance also calls for a possible fine of $263.50.
The county’s fireworks ordinance also covers the sale of fireworks by anyone without a license. Violations could bring a fine of $767.50.