Mark the 4th with a (legal) bang
Make sure your fireworks are lawful, and don’t set them off in parks, bosque
The Fourth of July is less than a week away, and that means that the Albuquerque Fire Department is hard at work inspecting fireworks stands across the city.
On Thursday, inspector Diane Burns was at a TNT Fireworks stand in the parking lot of a Northeast Heights Wal-Mart. The stand was being run by parents from Hope Christian School, who were raising money for both elementary school sports and high school football.
“The first thing that we look for is that we want to make sure the tent is in a safe location,” Burns said.
Inspectors also look to see if the tents have the required exits, fire extinguishers, signs and permits. Then they move on to the fireworks.
Individual fireworks that have the word “CAUTION” printed on their label are legal within city limits, while those with the word “WARNING” are not.
To the casual observer, some of the products at the stand may have initially seemed illegal. For example, one of the packages of assorted fireworks, The Big Deluxe, had “WARNING” printed on the front. However, according to Burns, as long as the individual fireworks within a package only carry a “CAUTION” label, the package as a whole is legal.
“Some of the most popular things that we have are the
packages, because you will save a pretty significant amount of money,” said Nicole Cosper , the mother of two Hope Christian football players who was volunteering at the tent.
From the get-go, it was clear that the stand met all of the standards that inspectors look for. However, anyone who is caught selling illegal fireworks will be in trouble.
“If we do catch anything where the individual firework does say ‘WARNING’ on it, they will be confiscated,” Burns said. “You know, they can be cited. It’s a $500 fine and/or 90 days in jail. It’s also a misdemeanor.”
Additionally, fireworks are illegal if they travel higher than 10 feet or outside a 6-foot circle. They cannot be louder than a cap pistol. Burns also spoke about fireworks safety that folks can practice after they leave the stands with their purchases, including reporting illegal fireworks and refraining from setting off fireworks in the bosque, parks and open areas.
“Just everyone be safe out there,” she said. “Make sure that everything is legal, and buy from a local vendor.”