Fireworks Ordinance

I saw a story this weekend about a St. Louis county family that burned their own house down with personal fireworks, certainly an unintended consequence of violating a municipal ordinance.

In the City of St. Louis, the fire department put out several fires and the police department received 504 calls over the long weekend reporting fireworks in city neighborhoods. That is a lot of calls for departments that are already busy. (I can't tell you right now how many citations were issued, because the ticketing system is paper-based and citations do not automatically generate police reports. Staff is checking with the police chief's office to see if they can back into the calculation of the number of fireworks citations or warnings issued.)

I (again, as usual) urge City residents to act responsibly and safely, and to obey the ordinance. While its enforcement isn't the best use of police time and the fine isn't particularly high, the ordinance exists to remind residents of some real possible consequences. Having the fire department delayed responding to a serious emergency while it puts out a dumpster fire comes to mind. So does accidentally burning down your own house!