Police Remind Residents Fireworks Are Illegal in Evergreen Park

Evergreen Park Police are reminding residents that “consumer fireworks” -- the kind you cross the border for in Indiana -- are illegal and that police will be enforcing local fireworks ordinances during the Fourth of July weekend.

Parents of minors caught blowing off fireworks on their property could be cited by local police. Parents or legal guardians shall be presumed to have allowed or permitted a minor to violate local and state laws pertaining to fireworks, according to Evergreen Park’s municipal code.

Residents bothered by their neighbor’s pyrotechnic displays call 911 for police service. Any and all information, including what offenders are where, addresses, etc., will be helpful to police.

Callers may remain anonymous, but it they wish to sign complaints they can speak with the officer assigned to the call, Lt. Peter Donovan, spokesman for the Evergreen Park Police Department, said via email

Consumer fireworks are illegal, including firecrackers, bottle rockets and Roman candles, are illegal in Illinois and also in Evergreen Park.

According to statistic compiled by the Illinois Fire Safety Alliance, 11,400 fireworks-related injuries were treated in emergency rooms in United States in 2013.

Also, in 2011, fireworks caused an estimated 17,800 reported fires, including 1,200 structure fires, 400 vehicle fires, and 16,300 outside and other fires.

Although sparklers are legal for consumer use in Illinois, the IFSA says sparklers burn at up to 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit and cause burn injuries to more than 3,500 children and adults each year in the United States.

Here is a complete list of “legal” fireworks:

• Snake or glow worm pellets
• Smoke bombs
• Sparklers
• Trick noisemakers, sometimes known as “party poppers”, “booby traps”, “snappers”, “trick matches”, “cigarette loads” and “auto burglar alarms”;
• Toy pistols, toy canes, toy guns, or other devices in which paper or plastic caps containing twenty-five hundredths grains or less of explosive compound are used, provided they are so constructed that the hand cannot come in contact with the cap when in place for the explosion;
• Toy pistol paper or plastic caps which contain less than twenty-five hundredths grains of explosive mixture.

When using the legal stuff, have a bucket of water or sand nearby for safe extinguishing.