A Dodge County man is recovering after he was injured by fireworks last Saturday.
The Sheriff’s Office says they got word of the accident around 7:15 p.m. on June 26, 2021 at a property on Highway 16/60 in the Town of Lowell.
The 55-year-old was flown to UW Hospital in Madison to receive treatment for serious injuries to both his hands and stomach while handling large fireworks.
As the sheriff’s office continues to investigate the accident, Sheriff Dale Schmidt is reminding people that fireworks are dangerous, and that most of them are in violation of state law. Specifically:
Legal Without a Permit:
State law allows the sale, possession, and use, without a permit, of sparklers not exceeding 36 inches in length, stationary cones and fountains, toy snakes, smoke bombs, caps, noisemakers and confetti poppers with less than ¼ grain of explosive mixture. Wis. Stat. § 167.10(1). There is no age restriction on the sale, possession, or use of these devices and the statute does not classify them as fireworks. The use and sale of some of these items may be prohibited by local ordinances. These are the only kinds of “fireworks,” as that word is commonly used, that a person may use or possess without a permit or that may be sold to a person who does not have a permit.
Illegal Without a Permit*:
Possessing or using any other fireworks, including, for example, firecrackers, roman candles, bottle rockets, and mortars is illegal in Wisconsin without a valid permit. Wis. Stat. § 167.10(3). A commonly used rule of thumb is that a permit is required if the device explodes or leaves the ground. The sale of these fireworks to a person without a valid permit is also illegal, Wis. Stat. § 167.10(2), unless the seller is a wholesaler or jobber selling fireworks to a nonresident for shipment out of state. Wis. Stat. § 167.10(4).
*A permit may only be obtained with the permission of your local municipality.
The sheriff’s office is also preparing to receive hundreds of fireworks complaints, which can tie up 911 dispatchers. They recommend people fill out an “Incident Report” through the Dodge County Sheriff’s Office app, which will then be submitted to a deputy or police officer to investigate.
