Fireworks are legal to purchase in Decorah, but illegal to set off within city limits

Multi-colored lights, loud booms and explosions lighting up the sky during the annual fireworks display at Nordic Fest is something many Decorah residents look forward to.

Now that retail sales of fireworks is legal in the state of Iowa, you may have noticed an increase of fireworks being discharged within the city limits.

Decorah Police posted a picture of the city ordinance to their facebook page to remind residents the city ordinance still prohibits fireworks being set off in the city limits, even though you can now purchase them in the city.

Chief of police Bill Nixon says, "I get that it's fun to do, (set off fireworks) but not in a city setting."

When the police receive calls about fireworks being set off in town Nixon said, "We will respond and try to locate where the fireworks come from and who shot them off. More often than not it is difficult to identify who shot the fireworks off or exactly where they came from. We start with a warning if we can find someone and then if it continues we can issue citations."

Nixon added, "Once the fireworks are up in the air, it's hard to tell where it came from unless it is a next door neighbor who sees people in the back yard setting them off. The call is usually from someone a block away and they have no idea what house it came from."

"I think it will be novel for a little while, then in subsequent years, that will probably taper off. As long as people can buy them right here, they are going to set them off," said Nixon.