Only good thing this year, as I hear then going off, is for some reason I have heard few until about 7. In the past the week before and for several days after the noise would start about 10 in the morning then continue with a few lulls.

I don't like them close to me. I moved out here for quiet. last NYE I thought I was being bombed! tons of them across the road from me and to the east and west of me. tomorrow I'm calling the sheriff's office to see if they're legal out here. We're totally dry here - fires all over the state. they should be banned except at preset locations set by the local authorities.

I've never liked it. Too many people think it gives them the right to act irresponsibly and endanger others.

Been doing the same here - and late at night. Some sounded like mortars.

I feel bad for those with pets who get spooked by such things - and people trying to sleep.

And our law forbids shooting fireworks by anyone except officials, but it never seems to be enforced.

The stricter the bans became the louder and more obnoxious the outlaw fireworks became. This year is especially loud and the time frame is stretched out. Zero entertainment for young people. No movies, no sports, no hanging out with their friends in diners. Nada. Terrible time to be a young person.

We took the "family" out of the 4th when we banned safe and sane fireworks, stopped having parades and community picnics and replaced those with commercial fireworks displays that require attendance to somewhere unrelated (usually a sporting event or amusement park) or driving to a spot to attempt to find a safe place to park and watch.

Then everyone complains about illegal fire works each year.

Not to mention those with PTSD.

In our county, it's legal to shoot off fireworks. No one seems to pay attention if there's a burn ban. It's 113 heat index and dryer than a popcorn fart, but these imbeciles are still determined to blow up as much powder as they can. The never take into consideration that someone has to get up and go to work the next morning. They'll shoot them until 3 am.

They start shooting them off 2 weeks prior, building up to a crescendo for the 4th. Since the 4th is on Saturday this year, they'll start blowing them up Friday night and go all the way until Sunday. It'll sound like WW3. And then shoot them off for about 2 more weeks.

Ever year I say I'm going to get up at 6 am and shoot the mortars off smack dab in front of their houses. Or maybe I'll just pay some neighborhood kid to do it. With the hangovers I'm sure they all have, it would be excruciating.

I liked them until I got my first dog. I have since spent the rest of these years trying to sooth my terrified animals. I am fortunate in that my current one doesn't seem upset by them but I won't be joining in any celebrations. Now I'm the one that doesn't like the noise.

The mother in a family close to us really hates the loud ones. They trigger anxiety because of the years she lived in Afghanistan during the war with Russia. Her aunt lives with the family, but goes to stay with other relatives in a quieter area for Fourth of July. (I guess she must do so for New Years Eve, too.) She lost her four children when their house was bombed.

And nobody ever considers how much fireworks are polluting the air we breathe!

Fireworks cause extensive air pollution in a short amount of time, leaving metal particles, dangerous toxins, harmful chemicals and smoke in the air for hours and days. ... Leftover rock is discarded into valleys, blocking and polluting flowing streams.

When the kids were small, we would go to local fireworks upstate NY. A bit more low key.

We also went to a Disney World quite often and their fireworks are amazing.

I have been once to the Macy’s fireworks and those were spectacular.

Many years ago I went to a concert and the finale had fireworks coordinated with the music. I enjoyed that.

In NY we live near a town that has yearly displays, but we don’t go.

At this point in my life, it’s not something I would go out of my way for. But, I have some fond memories.

That said, I can relate to all the negatives. The world is not a better place with fireworks in it.

As much as we enjoyed watching the grownups set them off when we were kids, they were only on the fourth, and really the better displays are the professional ones.

When cleaning out my dad’s basement, I found a grocery sack of firecrackers and fireworks on top of the cabinet above the workbench! No telling how long they’d been there! I had to look up how to dispose of them: soak them in a bucket of water for a day, drain, and they are safe to go in the trash.

Two states around us allow sales, so even though they are illegal here, that doesn’t really stop anyone. The police will look for cars coming from the fireworks stores, but it’s easy just to take a convoluted route back.

Someone in my neighborhood has been setting off firecrackers the last couple of days. Not a lot, just a couple a night, but boy is it disturbing.

I do miss sparklers, though. We had so much fun with them!

I completely agree! Our state has made them legal, with limited hours for their use the days surrounding official holidays, but people have taken that to mean they can use them all the time now. Ugh. The police can't do much when misuse is reported. Professional fireworks have been canceled by all but two municipalities near us, so I expect the evening of the 4th to be worse than usual.

I remember jogging through the beautiful Garden Of The Gods as young irresponsible park employees drove around throwing fire crackers out the truck window....it's a wooded area! Then the fire department runs the fire truck around the neighborhood with the sirens on yelling "FILL THE BOOT", collecting money.

I'm in an area "now" where everyone is afraid it's going to catch on fire and take it seriously. The HOA will shut you down if they get any reports of fireworks. As much as I hate paying HOA dues......it's very...very......quiet here.

I like professional fireworks displays ... so pretty. But I'd enjoy them even more if they left out the bits that make the "boom" noise. I haven't heard but one or two fireworks in my neighborhood, maybe because it's easy to see the town's display from your backyard or a short walk. The town display is off this year due. Council voted to move it to Labor Day. I don't know what they expect to be different by then, but we'll see.

I looked up Virginia's fireworks law:

• Permitted: Sparklers, fountains, pharaoh's serpents, pinwheels, and whirligigs.
• Prohibited: Firecrackers, skyrockets, torpedoes, and other fireworks which explode, travel laterally, rise into the air, or fire projectiles into the air.

Well the Flexeril worked because I was out after reading for about 5 minutes. I guess the medication and hot sun knocked me out even with the explosions.

FWIW, for well over half a century now, our hometown, and most others I know, have put on a July 4th fireworks display over the water, well attended on the shores and enjoyed throughout the waterfront neighborhoods in the area, including by our family, so I'm curious when would've been the halcyon time when public fireworks were not a civic event?

It is only in the last couple of decades that homegrown launchings have become so popular, which I believe has coincided with increased access to illegal fireworks. You used to have to drive across the state line just to buy firecrackers, bottle rockets and cherry bombs - which are dangerous enough, IMO, and now there are stands found everywhere around town.

In this area it was in the 1950s. There were speeches sometime in the day if you knew the civic group that was sponsoring. Fireworks were always done by families or family groups. In the 1970s was when event places started having fireworks. Then the various towns started having free events which now you have to pay to attend although if you find a spot in the distance you can view for free. None of the town ones were and are more than money raising events for something.

People here usually set off so many I didn't realize it *was* not legal. I heard a few last night and I'm sure I'll hear more the next couple nights. At least it's been raining enough that there's minimal fire danger.

I just read that fireworks are now legal here three days a year: https://www.tcpalm.com/videos/news/2020/06/29/fireworks-now-legal-florida-4th-july-new-years-eve-and-new-years-day/3280171001/

I rode bicycle and took my dog a year or two ago. I pushed the bike up the sidewalk toward the top of the bridge until we got packed in so tight we couldn't have easily left even if we'd have wanted too. My dog paid no attention to the fireworks. I think he mostly just watched the little kids behind us. I wouldn't go again even if they did put on a display, and there was no pandemic.

we had so many folks set off fireworks Friday night, the air quality turned an 'unhealthy' 161

The fireworks lasted long into the night last night. I did fall asleep but woke several times well after 1 am from explosions. Thankfully, only Emily is afraid of fireworks and the other two (I'm watching my daughter's dog again) were fine. I have Trazodone for Emily.

Terrible for my dog. She hides behind my chair and cries.

I could do without any fireworks, professional, or otherwise. Nickel, I agree, those "boom"ones are the worst.

We already have several lost pets who were frightened by local fireworks. Hope they all make it home.

Its hot and humid here so windows and doors are closed. Even though some neighbors were in violation, all sounds were muted and barely audible.

I did ask my neighbor how his dog did during the booms and crackling.

We didn't have home fireworks when I was a kid because there was a real risk of setting the countryside on fire. We went to the public display over the river.

I'd prefer my neighbors not do them because my dog is scared of them. It's not just 2-3 days a year here. It's more like 10-14 days near 4th of July, Diwali, New Years and I believe someone is setting them off on weekends at one of the wedding locations.

I used to like it too, as it was a holiday to appreciate the long, hard battle to freedom. That we've taken backwards steps, breaks my heart. Equality for everyone, and my love for this holiday will return.

Fireworks once or twice a year is easy to overlook. I pretend it's a thunderstorm, and I drift off to sleep. Hoping others can learn this trick to ease through tonight. I'm sorry for the dogs, but there's no controlling fireworks any more than controlling thunder.

I like fireworks. However, I don't go to the big public displays anymore. I can hear and sometimes even see the very high ones being set off in the nearby city from my front porch. Still thrilling, feel like a kid. Each time I hear the boom I say I'm not getting up and running outside to see it.....but I do.

For several years, neighbors behind across the field used to set them off. One year there was the biggest BOOM you ever heard and it wasn't even dark yet. It scared the heck out of me and I ran out the door thinking a bomb had gone off. Well, it sorta did. How in the world they lit that and got away without injury I don't know!

When I did see the guy lighting the smaller ones, he was using a cigarette! Yikes. They moved away and since then no excitement on July 4th.

This evening i am going to watch a small local town's virtual Youtube 4th of July parade. Normal parade entrants submitted videos to form an online parade for this year. How cool is that?

Later I may just go park somewhere and watch all the illegal fireworks lighting up the skies. Fortunately my dog is fine with fireworks so I may even take her with me. DH will be sleeping by that time.

We have heard zero fireworks in our neighborhood this year. The racket normally starts days before the 4th and lasts days after. This is a very strange 4th.

We always had them when we were kids. Supervised of course, but with Reservation shops in all 4 directions, the only thing limiting what could be bought was the budget. It's been a lot of years since we've done much with fireworks ourselves. Our city would have a display (not this year) that we didn't even have to go out for, we could view it from above and across the river at the living room windows.

Current city restrictions are 9 AM until midnight today only for igniting any kind of fireworks and all the 'good stuff' is banned now. I've been hearing fireworks noises for the last three days though, and off and on all day today.

This year has been strange. I no longer have any dogs but do have cats. Most years two of my oldest find a corner and hide but not this year. Even the extremely loud thunder claps from earlier this evening that shook the house received no recognition.

Just watched the 4th of July special on PBS. There are so many fireworks and booms in my neighborhood. I'm snuggling with the dog. Poor thing. I'm sure this will go on all hours of the night.

It's like with no public display, folks are going all out. The stench is worse than the noise.

Fireworks are illegal where I live but that hasn't stopped people in past years. Usually firecrackers in my neighborhood the day before, then going off all day on the 4th, and late into the evening. But I have hardly heard any yesterday and today. The fireworks show in Seattle was of course cancelled, as well as other surrounding city shows.

During football season, when our Seattle Seahawks win, everyone shoots off firecrackers to celebrate. My neighborhood goes crazy. I'm guessing people stock up on the 4th of July to have them to last the football season. I wonder if other states do the same?

There are many more fireworks than normal in my neighborhood. I am only glad it is not a holiday like Christmas or New Years when it is the guns that are going off.

Fireworks aren’t my cup of tea, but this year in particular, I have mixed feelings about them. I hate the noise, I hate that they scare my dog and it’s beyond annoying that the rules regarding when they can be fired are broken. My sister said in her neighborhood, it sounds like a war zone they’re so bad and it’s upsetting some of the Vets with PTSD. HOWEVER, this year with Covid, it’s my hope that the fireworks are helping to entice families with kids to bbq and enjoy their celebrations at home If that’s the case, it’s a compromise I’m willing to work with.

I have become very sensitive to loud noises in my advanced years, and could do without fireworks if it means having peace and quiet. Fortunately, the ones we can see from our house are far enough away that the noise isn't too terrible. I do feel sorry for the Vets who suffer PTSD, and the poor pets who are frightened by the noise.