As the Fourth of July wraps up, many Central New Yorkers are left asking: have backyard fireworks gone too far?
One frustrated resident took to the Syracuse Subreddit this week to vent about the non-stop explosions echoing through their neighborhood. And they’re not alone.
“Last night was awful. Every house around us was setting off fireworks and my animals were terrified. Fireworks were being set off until 4 a.m. That’s absolutely ridiculous.”
What The Law Actually Allows In New York
To understand the frustration, it helps to revisit a 2014 change in New York State law. That year, state lawmakers legalized the sale and use of certain “sparkling devices” — think handheld or ground-based sparklers, cones, and fountains — but not aerial or explosive fireworks. Despite this, the louder, flashier “boom-y” fireworks continue to be widely used. According to New York law, they remain illegal for consumer use…