Happy Fourth of July weekend everybody!

If you plan on celebrating our nation's independence with fireworks the next few days, there are a few things you should know especially, if you are thinking of setting off pyrotechnics within the city of Sioux Falls.

First, any fireworks that launch a projectile or have a loud bang are illegal within Sioux Falls city limits.

My neighbors always seem to miss that news each year. The western Sioux Falls neighborhood that I live in could be mistaken for a battlefield in Afghanistan every Fourth of July holiday. There's no shortage of shock and awe.

My dogs don't come out of hiding until the middle of July.

Sergeant Sean Kooistra with the Sioux Falls Police Department told Dakota News Now, extra officers will be on duty this weekend to respond to fireworks calls. If residents are caught violating the city fireworks ordinance they could be subject to a $107.50 fine.

Keep in mind it is legal to use things like sparklers, smoke bombs, and fountains within the Sioux Falls city limits.

Sioux Falls Fire Rescue Battalion Chief Mike Top has a few tips for anyone wishing to shoot off fireworks this weekend, according to Dakota News Now, they should "be prepared for problems." It's important to have water nearby. Top highly recommends that you soak your discharged fireworks in water before throwing them away. Each year the fire department deals with a number fires that flare up in garbage due to the fact they're still-smoldering.

Discharging fireworks that contain a projectile, and a report, are legal outside city limits, however, various communities may have their own specific laws, so it's best to familiarize yourself with those laws first.

You can see the fireworks laws from some of the surrounding communities near Sioux Falls and throughout South Dakota here.

Finally, Top asks everyone who plans on shooting their own fireworks displays to please clean up all their discharged fireworks once they've finished. His office receives complaints from people each year who find discarded remains from fireworks on rural roads.

Source: Dakota News Now

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