NICK GOSNELL
Hutch Post
HUTCHINSON, Kan. — It's time for fireworks starting this week in Reno County and in Hutchinson.
"This all starts the 30th, so Thursday, through the 4th," said Hutchinson Fire Marshal Mike Cain. "Eight a.m. to 11 p.m, you can shoot them off."
The discharge of fireworks in both the City of Hutchinson and unincorporated areas of the county is limited to so-called Safe and Sane Fireworks. That is not a brand, but rather types of fireworks that include fountains, sparklers, smokeballs, snake-type fireworks, ground-spinning fireworks, pinwheels, most novelty fireworks, toytrick noisemakers, and some crackling items, basically anything that doesn’t leave the ground.
"Nothing over six feet," Cain said. "Small fountains and regular firecrackers and stuff like that. No aerials."
If you buy fireworks elsewhere, you need to shoot them there, because, as an example, South Hutchinson allows fireworks that Hutchinson does not.
"If you buy them in South Hutch and you bring them back, they are still illegal," Cain said. "You run the potential of getting a summons to see me in court."
Cain said that only happens a couple of times a year. Generally, if they have to go talk to someone, they will tell them they didn't know what they couldn't do and they will stop. It's when they get the second call out to someplace and it's clear that they haven't stopped that a summons is generally issued and the illegal fireworks could be confiscated.
"We'll have five stands within the city this year," Cain said. "If you buy the fireworks with any of those five stands, you will be legal, because that's all they can sell is what you can shoot in town. If you buy them here in town, you can shoot them here in town."
That's assuming you are shooting them on your own property or on property where you have written permission to be. If you are seen shooting on property you don't own, firefighters can ask you for that permission and if you don't have it, they can ask you to leave. Remember that in the street is not your property, even if it is in front of your house. Stay at the end of your driveway, as far away from your house as you can, with no overhead obstructions.
"As I've had discussion with quite a few people over the years, the street seems like the safest place," Cain said. "You're out in the middle of the street, there's nothing around. Especially with having the kids go out and light them, which I don't suggest either, as it starts to get dark, people driving down that street, unless that firework is going off, they're not going to see somebody out in the street and you run the potential of somebody actually getting hit by a car."
If you have any questions, ask them before you purchase the fireworks and call the Hutchinson Fire Department at (620) 694-2871.