LEWISTON, Maine — For those expecting Maine to come booming into 2012 as it becomes legal to buy and use fireworks in the state Jan. 1, the new year might come with a flicker of disappointment.
Despite a new state law allowing the sale and use of consumer fireworks, there is not yet a single legal fireworks retailer. In fact, the state Fire Marshal’s Office hasn’t even received an application to sell fireworks, said Richard Taylor, the department’s senior research and planning analyst.
The state had anticipated that some retailers, both Maine-based and from away, would jump at the chance to sell an expanded range of backyard pyrotechnics. But building codes, costs of entering the market, the fact that the law comes into effect just after New Year’s and the spread of municipal ordinances that will continue to restrict fireworks in most of Maine’s larger urban centers have conspired to delay the arrival of fireworks outlets.
“We guessed — and we’re going to have guessed wrong — 13 [fireworks stores]” would open in Maine after the law passed, Taylor said.
Taylor does expect to see more people using fireworks around the state. And he expects some retailers to be open by July. “If I don’t see anything by then, I’ll be really puzzled,” he said.
The slow rate of change has allowed local fire and police departments to take a “wait and see” approach to preparing for increased fireworks usage, Auburn Deputy Police Chief Jason Moen said.
In Lewiston, a move to ban fireworks within city limits failed when two councilors who supported the ordinance didn’t show up to vote on its second reading. Fire officials plan to present several proposals to completely or partially ban fireworks to the new City Council after it has been sworn in this month.
“I’m comfortable with the fact that we’ll be taking this issue up in early January,” Fire Chief Paul Leclair said. “I’m not expecting a wave of fireworks to overcome us.”
Until a new ordinance is discussed and voted on, it will be up to fire and police crews to respond to incidents regarding fireworks use and determine whether they are legal, he said.
Although residents can buy fireworks in neighboring New Hampshire and use them in towns here that have not banned them, Maine state law is considerably more restrictive when it comes to which products are allowed, Leclair said.
“What’s purchased out of state I don’t think necessarily will qualify as being legal within the state of Maine,” he said.
There is a huge difference between the sort of high-powered, aerial fireworks used in professional Fourth of July shows and what amateurs can use in their back yards, Leclair said.
“If we see people using those tomorrow, we know they’re illegal,” and fire officials have the jurisdiction to confiscate them, he said.
In Auburn, which banned the sale and use of all consumer fireworks besides the sparklers and snappers that were previously available, new enforcement measures are likewise low key.
“The only thing we’re doing is reviewing the city ordinance banning fireworks,” Moen said. “We’re not going to be conducting stings,” he said.
Fireworks “will be available other places in Maine,” and people will get them, Moen said. But “if you bring them to Auburn, they’ll be illegal.”
i can understand 10-14 year olds getting exciting to
set off fireworks but grown men in thier 20s,30s or older
getting their jollies setting off fireworks?
With all the problems with Mainecare, bathsalts, crazy crimes of all kinds, weapons, missing children, domestic altercations, etc. the police and towns are gearing up to ban roman candles, and small rockets. What a foolish waste of time and public money. I didn’t hear a single firework go off in my neighborhood this new years when usually they are pretty steady.
Trying to get to sleep, about 12:30, I did hear either repeated gunfire of fireworks.
Of course the sales haven’t boomed. Every major city in Maine, and many smaller ones, have already pre-empted the law by banning fireworks via local ordinances.
“Despite a new state law allowing the sale and use of consumer fireworks, there is not yet a single legal fireworks retailer. In fact, the state Fire Marshal’s Office hasn’t even received an application to sell fireworks, said Richard Taylor.”
What’s wrong with these business men and women? Doesn’t anybody know Maine is Open for Business?? Certainly there must be a fireworks business from outside the State of Maine LePage owes a favor. What’s the holdup???
We can still use fireworks in Maine even if we can’t buy them here though, right?
Except in the communites that banned them, I guess so.
“Fireworks ‘will be available other places in Maine,’ and people will get them, Moen said. But “if you bring them to Auburn, they’ll be illegal.”
To understand this in context, you need to know Auburn is just across the river and the Great Falls from Lewiston. Auburn has always struggled to keep it’s citizens safe because Lewiston is right across the river. People in Auburn don’t want people from Lewiston to be allowed to carry toothpicks or hairspray, let alone explosive devices. You’d understand why if you’d ever lived there. LePage is from Lewiston. He proudly took the lead in making the sales, purchase, and use of fireworks legal in Maine. I agree with LePage, it’s silly to have laws against something practically everybody has continued using since they were banned in the mid-70’s. At least let’s put some revenue in the general fund from it!!
Fireworks and Bath Salts….Good combination, along with the lousy drivers…GO MAINE!
It was fine on 4th of July to spend the evening listening to the BOOM BOOM BOOM …but now it could be all summer long….So much for quiet lakeside living! I hope they still will have to go far to get em, and they cost $$$$$$$$
The complete lack of interest, and the wide-spread banning of fireworks by towns shows how much of our time the legislature wasted debating and passing this unwanted law. So far, this is also the most meaningful bill that the Penguin administration has managed to force through the legislature. This speaks volumes.
harbinger:
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/01/01/oukoe-uk-italy-fireworks-idUKTRE80009220120101
LOL, good thing this was priority #1, right?
It could be that all the worries and concerns that all the “baby sitters” out there that are concerned with us redneck retards that know nothing of safety,responsibility, for that matter can barely wipe ourselves without oversight, and also were sure we would go off the deep end once we got those bottle rockets in our hands…were wrong.
I Agree with the people that say “of course the sales arent booming” I live up in Northern Maine (I can see Canada) and up here noone is banning anything because it is all small towns and farmlands so as long as people use them right, up here is the place to use them,, the reason we arent buying any is because we have to travel a whole day just to get some in New Hampshire unless they open something close Maybe even the Presque Isle area which i still have to drive a hour to get to but till then most of us up here arent going to buy any!
I Agree with the people that say “of course the sales arent booming” I live up in Northern Maine (I can see Canada) and up here noone is banning anything because it is all small towns and farmlands so as long as people use them right, up here is the place to use them,, the reason we arent buying any is because we have to travel a whole day just to get some in New Hampshire unless they open something close Maybe even the Presque Isle area which i still have to drive a hour to get to but till then most of us up here arent going to buy any!
I Agree with the people that say “of course the sales arent booming” I live up in Northern Maine (I can see Canada) and up here noone is banning anything because it is all small towns and farmlands so as long as people use them right, up here is the place to use them,, the reason we arent buying any is because we have to travel a whole day just to get some in New Hampshire unless they open something close Maybe even the Presque Isle area which i still have to drive a hour to get to but till then most of us up here arent going to buy any!
I don’t understand why their panties are all bunched up. This is obviously going to be a seasonal oriented business, as it is with other states that have never banned the usage.
does any know what fireworks are legal in Maine or can provide a link to the answer cause I can’t find any and think a trip to NH is in order.
http://www.mainelegislature.org/legis/statutes/8/title8ch9-A.pdf
thanks 357
Who would have thought this would be reported once Maine was open for business? The bans, the local laws is another piece of what keeps people from conducting the business of Fireworks sales in this state. When big box popped up, towns were quick to restrict them, when fireworks come to town, restrict them too. Now you also get towns banning their use. The state is too much of a red taped, nanny state. Any business owner who has not jumped at this opportunity, is pretty smart. When they wrote this law to let towns make the call, it had fail written all over it, why not just imply this with every law going forward. Pass it and let the towns decide? What a failure this state remains to be.