WILKES-BARRE, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — Wilkes-Barre City Council announced Thursday, fireworks will now be banned due to a new ordinance.
Wilkes-Barre City Council has voted to essentially ban fireworks from anywhere in the city as the summer season is about to begin.
Our media partner, the Times Leader reported Thursday that city council members voted to beef up language and close loopholes in an existing ordinance regarding fireworks being set off.
The ordinance makes it illegal to set off fireworks within 150 feet of an occupied structure and violators could face a fine of up to $500.
According to Times Leader, Councilmember and City Administrator, Charles McCormick noted that the new language in the ordinance ensures that fireworks can not be set off anywhere in the city, because there is no location that would meet that requirement.
Residents Tony Thomas and Linda Joseph agreed that adding the ban was a long time coming.
“I remember coming from my parent’s house and seeing people setting off fireworks in the middle of the street. The smoke was so thick you could hardly see. And the next day there was debris everywhere,” Thomas explained.
Thomas and Joseph said setting off fireworks is not good in densely populated areas and Thomas believes the updated ordinance will close all the loopholes when it comes to setting off fireworks.
In addition to the damage done by consumer fireworks, they also cause problems for military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and for pets.
