Northwest Iowa — This 4th of July season is the first time in 79-years that Iowans have been able to legally explode consumer-grade fireworks, and the change in the law didn’t come without some fireworks-related injuries occuring, some of which were here in northwest Iowa.
In Lyon County, here in northwest Iowa, Sheriff Stewart Vander Stoep says a fireworks accident Tuesday night in rural Lester sent a 17-year old boy to the hospital with leg injuries.
Vander Stoep says the mishap happened shortly before 11:00 Wednesday night. He says the teen was taken to a local hospital, then airlifted to Sanford Sioux Falls. No other information is available.
Online reports indicate that an Alton man lost two fingers in a fireworks related accident. Neither Orange City Police, or Sioux County Sheriff’s officials had any additional information available, since the individual was taken to the hospital by private vehicle, and no police report was filed.
Rumors of other fireworks-related injuries have been circulating here in northwest Iowa, as well.
In Sioux City, the Mayor says he’ll ask the city council to outlaw the use of fireworks in his city, after a Sioux City man was severely injured in a fireworks-related accident Monday night. A Sioux City Rescue spokesman says the man was shooting off fireworks near his home about 8 p.m. when the fireworks exploded, blowing off one of his hands. The victim was transported to a Sioux City hospital. His name and condition have not been released.
A few hours after the incident, Sioux City Mayor Bob Scott posted a note on Facebook, saying he’ll ask the city council to ban the use of fireworks in Sioux City when the council meets on Monday. Scott says because of accidents and because many residents did not adhere to the time restrictions in the new state law, it makes no sense to continue to allow private fireworks displays in Sioux City going forward.
After a 79-year ban, this is the first year it has been legal to sell and set off fireworks in Iowa. The law allows consumer-grade fireworks to get ignited through July 8th. There’s another period for private displays at the end of the year.
