Daily Herald opinion: ‘Leave it to the professionals’: When it comes to fireworks, be safe, be courteous, avoid punishment

If you’re thinking about shooting off some illegal fireworks this July 4th holiday season, or hanging around with someone else who is, here are two good reasons to think again: danger and decency.

Oh, and if you’re in Elgin or Aurora, there’s a third: delinquency.

All three factors were evident in a story on the perennial Independence Day practice some people can’t resist to add a little excitement to the start of summer by making some noise with firecrackers, bottle rockets or bigger explosives. But the one that should be your immediate concern, of course, is the possibility that you or one of your children will be among the 150 or so Illinoisans who suffer painful, serious, possibly life-altering injury from fireworks accidents every year.

“Unfortunately, for families affected by one of these accidents, it’s often a tragedy,” Hoffman Estates Fire Chief Alan Wax told our Jake Griffin for an article published Sunday.“

What kind of tragedy? In four of the past 10 years, at least one person died, according to the Illinois State Fire Marshal’s office. Last year alone, eight fireworks-related injuries resulted in amputation. The most common injuries involve the hands, but 21 of the 155 injuries in Illinois in 2024 were to the head and face.

Still, if physical injury doesn’t deter you, there’s always the element of simple neighborliness. Illegal fireworks displays and explosions disrupt neighborhoods, create complications for veterans and other people dealing with PTSD and create anxieties and distress in household pets. Every year, local police departments deal with hundreds of complaints from individuals and families upset by the discourtesies of neighborhood revelers.

And if you’re not swayed by simple decency, in Aurora and Elgin, you may find yourself greeted by the police and a hefty, automatic fine. Elgin police tout their zero-tolerance policy and schedule additional resources to find and stop scofflaws. In Aurora, residents are encouraged to dial 311 to report illegal fireworks, and individuals caught shooting them off face a potential $1,000 fine.

Philip Zaleski, executive director of the Mount Prospect-based Illinois Fire Safety Alliance, offered the wise advice to avoid all the risks and unpleasantness and “leave it to the professionals.” We couldn’t agree more.

“There are just so many shows available,” Zaleski said, “there’s no need to worry about trying to set off your own low-level fireworks show. They all do tremendous jobs, too. And by doing so, you’re going to protect yourself and your family.”