By COLE REIF
Great Bend Post
As the Great Bend Fire Department prepares for the possibility of a call increase on the 4th of July due to fireworks, Fire Chief Brent Smith said his department also keeps an eye out for illegal fireworks. Smith added fireworks retailers are generally good with not selling anything that is illegal in Kansas, but the state fire marshal, he and the city’s fire inspector will go through locations where fireworks are sold.
"If there is any question whether I think it's legal, we're going to make them pull it off the shelf until they can prove it is legal," said Smith. "They would rather err on the side of caution than sell something that might cause somebody an injury or have a fire because of it."
According to the Office of the State Fire Marshall website, bottle rockets are illegal in the State of Kansas. Also prohibited are the sale of certain devices like M-80s, M-100s, cherry bombs and silver salutes.
Local authorities regulate when consumer fireworks can be discharged, meaning the allowed times for fireworks to be discharged will vary from city to city or county to county.