Letter: Clamp down on illegal fireworks

Posted on by Letters
Graphic by Lori Deaton

As we are slowly approaching another Fourth of July, I am remembering last year’s awful experience here in Asheville and I’m sure around the country. The pandemic had shut down local celebrations, and so those residents who just couldn’t live without the bright bursts and loud bangs went out and purchased what to my mind were commercial-grade fireworks.

The noise went on for days before, during and after the Fourth. They were louder than any neighborhood fireworks than I have ever heard in my entire life. It was frightening! Not only to me, but my pet and from what I hear, many others and their pets as well. I can imagine that for many of us, it was really quite traumatizing.

This type of fireworks is supposed to be illegal, isn’t it? The general public is not supposed to possess those heavy-duty, commercial-type fireworks, are they? And so I ask the Asheville police and Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department to please issue some type of warning to those who plan to repeat last year’s Fourth of July at-home fireworks extravaganza. They are dangerous, inappropriate and illegal.

Please join me in contacting local law enforcement offices if you agree on this issue and ask them to issue a warning statement and hold those possessing and discharging illegal fireworks accountable:

• Asheville Police Department Chief of Police David Zack: dzack@ashevillenc.gov; 828-259-5813.

• Buncombe County Sheriff Quentin Miller: quentin.miller@buncombecounty.org; 828-250-4503.

— Joan Cope
Asheville

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One thought on “Letter: Clamp down on illegal fireworks”

  1. Taxpayer

    Yes, I agree! It was terrible for at least a week or longer last year. Fireworks all night. Night after night.

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