BOOM! Firework Tents Go Up Around Town

The Fourth of July is right around the corner and with the holiday comes the sounds and spectacle of fireworks.

Firework tents are setting up around town, but make sure you know the laws as there are some hefty fines for setting off illegal fireworks in Maryland.

Al Bahr of Catonsville has set up two fireworks tents in Westminster, one at Crossroads Square and one in the WalMart parking lot.

"These aren't the fireworks from my childhood," Bahr laughed. "These fireworks are really safe. They are more family-oriented."

Bahr is open from 10 a.m til 10 p.m. every day through July 5.

Need a primer on the law?

Adhere to the following laws and refer to the Maryland State Fire Marshal website for more information.

• The use of most fireworks is illegal in Maryland, unless the fireworks are part of a public display for which the State Fire Marshal has granted a permit.

• The State Fire Marshal posts a list of all approved fireworks displays in Maryland.

• Violators who possess or discharge illegal fireworks are subject to a misdemeanor fine of up to $250. The sale of fireworks without a permit is a misdemeanor punishable by up to a $1,000 fine.

• The sale of fireworks is legal in neighboring states, including Pennsylvania. However, it is illegal to purchase fireworks in other states and transport them back to Maryland.

In Carroll County some ground based fireworks are legal including sparklers, snakes and snap and pops.

According to the Baltimore County Government website, hand-held and sparkler-based devices are legal.

Legal ground-based sparklers are stationary devices that sit on the ground and emit a shower of sparks several feet into the air. Any hand-held or ground-based device that creates an explosion, detonation, loud noise, that launches a projectile or moves along the ground under its own power is illegal in Baltimore County, according to the website.

Another firework vendor is set up in the parking lot of Carroll Plaza Shopping Center (where Frisco's Family Pub is located).