Safety first on Fourth

COEUR d'ALENE - "Pretty much any firework that explodes or flies is illegal," said Lt. Stu Miller, spokesman for the Kootenai County Sheriff's Office.

Miller said every city ordinance is a little different, but all cities ban the aerial and exploding varieties, such as firecrackers, bottle rockets and mortar-style fireworks.

Some fireworks can be sold and used legally between midnight June 23 and midnight July 5, but no fireworks are allowed on state land.

The Bureau of Land Management issued a press release Tuesday, stating fireworks are illegal on all public property from May 10 to Oct. 20.

"After midnight on the fifth of July, all of the fireworks are illegal in Kootenai County," Miller said.

The legal fireworks, which can be bought at stands in grocery store parking lots, are commonly referred to as safe-and-sane fireworks. Then there are those fireworks that are only sold on tribal reservations, and Miller said many of those are illegal.

Every year, about a week before the Fourth of July, Miller said the complaints start rolling in.

"We get a lot of calls - especially on the Fourth," he said. "So we have to deal with the priority calls first."

He said the calls where safety and property damage are factors get top priority, and the other calls are dealt with when deputies can get to them.

"This year, with the Fourth falling on Friday and Bayview Days on Saturday, I suspect we will be fairly busy," Miller said, adding that is why they prioritize calls.

He said if a caller wants to remain anonymous, that call is placed on a waiting list and deputies deal with them as they can.

"But if someone is willing to sign the citation, we will prioritize those," he said.

As time allows, the county will be working emphasis patrols in high-problem areas known for firework violations.

"One area in particular will be in the State Line Village area near the Washington state line," Miller wrote in a press release.

Scot Haug, Post Falls Police Chief, said city fireworks ordinances are pretty much the same as the county's.

"Our ordinance is for safe-and-sane fireworks only," he said. "And you cannot shoot them off on public property."

Haug said that means people can use the safe-and-sane fireworks in their own driveways and backyards, but not on city streets and parks.

"We would prefer that people shoot them off in their own backyards with a hose and bucket of water nearby," he said.

The illegal aerial and exploding fireworks carry a $300 fine and/or six months in jail, Haug said in a press release.

Haug said Post Falls Police faces the same challenges with enforcement as every other police department.

"We have a lot of factors working against us that make it hard to enforce the laws," he said. "Frankly, one of the biggest challenges we have is seeing a full-page ad for illegal fireworks in The Coeur d'Alene Press, and commercials on television promoting this activity."

For that reason, Haug said his officers switch from enforcement to education to ensure public safety.

"We will typically respond and educate people rather than write a bunch of citations," he said. "We want to make sure that people are being safe."

So far, both Haug and Miller said there hasn't been much complaining going on.

"I think we had two calls over the weekend," Haug said. "But it's just a handful of complaints so far."

The ordinances are pretty much the same in the city of Coeur d'Alene as well.

Police in all three cities wanted to emphasize safety when lighting any fireworks this week.

"With temperatures warming up, fire danger is going to be high this weekend," Miller said. "Maybe the best scenario for everyone is to just go see a sanctioned fireworks show. There are a lot of them out there."

Coeur d'Alene Police Sgt. Christie Wood said Coeur d'Alene's fireworks laws are similar to Post Falls, but not when it comes to alcohol consumption in the parks. Post Falls allows it, Coeur d'Alene doesn't.

"Fireworks and alcohol are prohibited in all city parks and on Tubbs Hill," Wood said in a press release.

Wood said the biggest complaints the department receives are about noise and people shooting fireworks at buildings and fireworks landing on roof tops.

"Dangerous fireworks are an extreme fire hazard and have been attributed to the cause of roof fires on houses and garages and surrounding areas," she said. "The public areas such as Tubbs Hill are vulnerable to fire."

She said anyone causing a fireworks-related fire will face strict enforcement.

Wood warned adults to be careful around children as well. Don't let kids light or hold fireworks, she said.

"Only adults should do any igniting of the safe-and-sane fireworks," Wood said. "Certainly don't have them near anything flammable such as trees and bushes."

Furthermore, Wood said the city will be strictly enforcing driving under the influence laws on the Fourth of July.