The tradition of using fireworks to celebrate the Fourth of July is as old as the United States, and it is fun to watch fireworks explode on a starry night. But St. Tammany authorities urge residents to forgo using fireworks themselves and go watch a professional display.

“Leave fireworks to the professionals,” Fire District One Fire Prevention Chief Neil Ricca said. “There are really no safe fireworks.”

That could be a hard suggestion to follow in St. Tammany Parish. Sheriff’s Office spokesman George Bonnett said fireworks are legal in the unincorporated parts of the parish with the exception of bottle rockets, which are banned.

Staff Sgt. Benjamin Mays of the U.S. Army Recruiting Station in Slidell looks over fireworks at Lucky Lou'€™s Fireworks just outside Slidell city limits Monday afternoon. Mays was looking for fireworks for his family'€™s celebration of the Fourth of July. (Staff Photo by Erik Sanzenbach)

In the parish’s municipalities the laws do differ. In Covington, Mandeville and Slidell, the sale and use of fireworks is against the law. But in Pearl River, residents can use fireworks only on the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve. Also it is legal to sell fireworks within Pearl River city limits during the two holidays.

Legally, firework vendors can only start selling their wares at noon June 25 until midnight July 4.

Multi-colored tents, packed with firecrackers, Roman candles and skyrockets have popped up like mushrooms along W. Gause Boulevard outside Slidell city limits during the past week. They also show up a week before New Year’s Eve, which, according to most of the firework vendors, is an even busier time for them than the Fourth of July.

“The real rush is July 3 and 4,” said Louis Capo, owner of Lucky Lou’s Fireworks that sits in front of Skater’s Paradise.

Even so, most of the vendors along West Gause say this year sales have been slow, and they blame the current economy for the downturn in their business.

“It’s a lot slower than in the past two years,” said Carissa Purvis, who manages Fireworks World, just past Northshore Boulevard.

Wendy Gordon, who manages Pearson’s Fireworks, a block past Fireworks World, said people have more important things to buy than fireworks this year.

“I won’t even be spending money on fireworks,” Gordon said. “My husband and I have a mortgage to pay, and other people want to hold on to their houses.”

Capo said the increase in gasoline prices has also affected his business. It costs more to transport fireworks, and though he tries not to increase the cost to his customers, Capo said he has to raise prices just a little so he can make a profit.

“The economy will be a factor this year,” Capo said. “There is not as much discretionary income right now.”

Parish fireworks vendors are also nervous because Parish Councilman Henry Billiot would like to propose a parishwide ban on the use of fireworks by private citizens. Billiot said he will meet on July 30 with the Parish Council and fireworks vendors about the legislation.

While Billiot would like a ban because of the reports he gets from parents of their children being injured by fireworks, he has also gotten calls from his constituents opposing the ban.

He doesn’t believe a total ban would work, so he is looking to tighten up current fireworks laws to emphasize safety.

Currently, state law says only children under the age of 15 are prohibited from purchasing fireworks, and Billiot wants to amend the law so that only people over 18 can purchase fireworks.

“It’s ridiculous. Kids can go and buy $50 worth of fireworks, and never tell their parents,” Billiot said.

But he admits even that won’t stop children from getting fireworks.

“They can go into another parish or another state. I just want to make it safer,” he said.

Capt. Kevin Foltz of the Slidell Police Department said officers will be answering firework complaints this weekend and will be issuing summons. In Slidell, penalties for using fireworks range from $100 to $500, or 30 to 60 days in jail, or both.

“We do issue quite a few summons during this time of the year,” Foltz said. He added most complaints on the Fourth of July come late at night when people are trying to get to sleep.

But whether or not more or less people will be using fireworks this year, police and fire authorities say people must still use a lot of caution before lighting the fuse on that skyrocket.

“People don’t realize how unstable fireworks are,” Bonnett said. “Our deputies will be on the lookout for unsafe conditions like children using fireworks without parental supervision.”

Ricca said the potential danger of injury is not worth the effort of using fireworks in private.

“National Fire Protection Association statistics show that fireworks account for more than 5,000 emergency room visits for children annually,” Ricca said. Injuries usually involve hands, eyes, heads, and can lead to amputations, blindness, scarring and death, Ricca said.

Ricca suggests that if families really want to see fireworks, they should gather at Heritage Park in Slidell Friday and watch the professional firework show at the Slidell Heritage Fair. The fireworks start at 9 p.m.