Photo by Zachary Siebert / St. Joseph News-Press / Purchase this photo

William Erickson of Atchison, Kan., sizes up a possible purchase at Big Boomers Fireworks on U.S. Highway 59 just south of St. Joseph. He has already made four trips to Missouri this year to buy fireworks. ‘I can’t buy the big stuff in Kansas, so I come over here every year,’ he said.

The official start of fireworks season — yes, there is a season, according to the city of St. Joseph — began on June 20. Since then, the St. Joseph police and fire departments have repeatedly responded to calls regarding fireworks.

“The calls for fireworks far exceeds our ability to check on all of them,” said Cmdr. Jim Connors, of the Police Department. “However, if there is imminent danger, such as they are being shot at people or houses, we will respond more immediately than if it was someone just hearing them.”

There are laws preventing the use of many fireworks in the city limits. Those laws, however, are different once outside of city limits.

“In the city, if they go boom or are in the air, they are illegal,” Mr. Connors said. Much of those that go boom or in the air are legal in the countryside, but state law comes into play in those areas. Many neighboring states such as Iowa and Kansas have even tougher fireworks laws.

According to the city ordinance, sparklers, colored torches, cones and boxes, nonpoisonous snakes, colored smoke items without report, fountains, pinwheels, spinners and spinner wheels, snappers, caps and confetti poppers are the only legal fireworks in city limits. Bottle rockets are illegal inside St. Joseph.

Mr. Connors says individuals found with illegal fireworks in the city can be issued a ticket, and in most cases, their fireworks will be seized.

A spokeswoman for Heartland Regional Medical Center said there have been no patients with fireworks-related injuries admitted to the emergency room yet this season, but July 4 is when most accidents occur.

The Fire Department has already responded to several locations around the city for fireworks-related fires and smoke. Trash-can fires, trees, garages and even indoor hallways have been a few of the cases Chief of Fire Prevention Les Beattie has heard of this season.

“I’ve seen people hurt themselves for the sake of shooting off fireworks,” Mr. Beattie said.

The Fire Department and Heartland offer fireworks education programs throughout the summer. Mr. Beattie says there is one important thing to remember.

“Keep it legal and keep it where the kids have got an adult supervising them, and make sure that the adult has not been drinking alcohol.”

Megan Tilk can be reached at megantilk@npgco.com.