Fireworks sales begin Saturday
Saturday kicks off the start of fireworks season.
Fireworks can be sold from Saturday through July 5 and set off those days between 6 a.m. and midnight.
Wichita residents are permitted to only use fireworks bought within the city limits. Discharging fireworks bought in a neighboring city or county is illegal.
Sedgwick County residents who do not live in Wichita must abide by their own city’s rules or the county’s rules if they live in an unincorporated area.
Wichita’s hot and windy weather the past week makes following these guidelines even more important, said Wichita Fire Department officials. While some of the tips may seem obvious, Fire Marshal Brad Crisp pointed to last year’s youngest victim, a 16-month-old, as a reason to take every precaution.
“There’s no reason a baby should be burned by a firework,” Crisp said.
Sedgwick County Emergency Communications will staff a non-emergency line for fireworks complaints from 6:30 p.m. until 3 a.m. on July 3 and 4. The non-emergency phone number will be 316-290-1011. Calls made to the line during non-operational hours will be transferred to 911.
For additional information, including a list of approved fireworks, contact Fire Prevention at 316-268-444, visit www.wichita.gov or find WFD on Facebook.
Reach Kelly Meyerhofer at 316-268-6357 or at kmeyerhofer@wichitaeagle.com.
Fireworks Do’s
▪ Do keep fireworks away from grassy areas.
▪ Do have a garden hose or water bucket on hand in case of an emergency.
▪ Do wrap burns in a dry, cotton cloth before heading to the hospital.
▪ Do read and follow safety instructions. Use fireworks only in the way they are intended to be used.
▪ Do light only one firework at a time.
▪ Do store fireworks in cool, dry place away from where you’re shooting.
▪ Do shoot fireworks away from your home or neighbor’s homes.
Fireworks Don’ts
▪ Don’t light fireworks if it’s windy.
▪ Don’t let children use fireworks unsupervised.
▪ Don’t relight a firework if it did not light properly.
▪ Don’t position yourself over the firework when you’re lighting it. Stand to the side or you could up with a face full of fireworks.
▪ Don’t modify fireworks you bought or make your own.
▪ Don’t use sky lanterns, which are banned in Sedgwick County. Only the wind controls where this type of firework blows and lands.
▪ Don’t use bottle rockets. They’re banned statewide.
This story was originally published June 25, 2015 at 3:24 PM with the headline "Fireworks sales begin Saturday."