In 1931, a fire broke out in the northwestern Iowa town of Spencer, ravaging over 20 buildings and putting nearly 500 people out of work during the Great Depression. It’s reported cause: a boy accidentally dropped a sparkler on a stack of fireworks at a general store.
After the fire, Iowa passed a statewide ban on fireworks, becoming the first state to do so. By 1953, 27 other states had followed Iowa’s lead and passed bans of their own.
This year, legislators passed a law moving things in the opposite direction. Senate File 303 says people can set off fireworks on private property on July 3, 4 and New Year’s Eve, regardless of any fireworks bans that local governments previously had…