Local skies have been much more colorful and bright this weekend and tonight should be no exception.

But those planning backyard displays to celebrate the Fourth of July may be surprised to know what the law says on using fireworks.

The only fireworks that are legal for an individual to use in Ohio are sparklers, snaps, glow snakes and smoke bombs.

Many Ohioans want to use larger, more explosive fireworks, but it is against the law to do so, warns Shane Cartmill, spokesman for the Ohio State Fire Marshal.

“There is no such thing as a backyard fireworks permit,” Cartmill said. “A lot of people believe that if they call us or call a local fire department that they can do it, but there is no mechanism to do that.”

Some of the confusion may come from a state law that permits the purchase of certain kinds of fireworks, but bans the use of them within state borders.

Anyone 18 or older can buy firecrackers, bottle rockets, roman candles and fountains within the state from a licensed retailer, but at the point of purchase, the buyer must sign a form that says the fireworks will be transported out of Ohio within 48 hours.

Where to purchase

There are 42 licensed wholesalers in Ohio who can sell trick and novelty fireworks like sparklers and snaps. There are six licensed manufacturers in Ohio who also can sell fireworks.

It is only legal to buy from them, but it’s also the only safe way to shop, according to Julie Heckman, executive director of the American Pyrotechnics Association and a native of Piqua.

The only licensed wholesaler in the Miami Valley is TNT Fireworks at 840 S. Union Road in Dayton.

Heckman gave some tips on how to identify safe, legal fireworks and what to avoid.

Illegal fireworks tend to come wrapped in plain brown paper, silver or red without markings.

“Fireworks will have colorful labels if they are legal,” she said. “They will have clear instructions for use and warnings on them with the name of the manufacturer.”

The Internet is flush with pages of instructions on how to make your own fireworks. Heckman strenuously advises against this. Fireworks are manufactured by professionals using specific chemical recipes.

“The general public should never touch this stuff,” she said.

In 2009, 8,800 people in the United States were treated in emergency departments for firework-related injuries, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Of those, about 67 percent were treated in a one-month period surrounding the Fourth of July Holiday.

In 2009, the Miami Valley did not have any significant fireworks incidents. But in 2008, a man was severely injured when he tried to discharge fireworks inside of his car in Riverside.

Penalties

A first-time offender of any fireworks-related laws risks confiscation of the fireworks and a first-degree misdemeanor, including a $1,000 fine and six months in jail.

“The possibility always exists that you could get caught at any time,” Cartmill said. “For some people, this is hundreds, if not thousands of dollars. We have examples of that happening every year.”

In fact, just last week the state fire marshal’s office detonated nearly two tons of fireworks that were evidence in a court case in northern Ohio.

Once the trial was over, a judge issued a “destruct order” and local and federal officials assisted in detonating them at an undisclosed location, Cartmill said.

The day after that, the State Fire Marshal Fire & Explosion Investigators and Code Enforcement Inspectors seized more than 1,000 pounds of illegal fireworks, valued at $15,000 from a Gallia County business.

Cartmill and Heckman’s message is the same: Obey the law and exercise caution.