Fireworks in the streets

On main arteries such as Vestal's Gap and Glebe View Drive, there are a few homes that have chosen to display fireworks in the middle of the street! This presents a danger not only because these are main roads throughout the neighborhood, but also because drivers cannot see very well.

I am shocked this this type of behavior is encouraged by homeowners. If you wish to see fireworks, go to a public venue. Please do not use the streets to entertain your kids. You only put drivers and yourselves in danger. Placing fireworks along the edge of the streets or in the middle of the streets is ridiculous.

Let's bring back respect to Broadlands and ensure that we are not teaching our children poor inconsiderate habits.

At some point, I would like to find out if this isn't against Loudoun County ordinances. If it isn't, we should ensure that we at least keep Broadlands safe.

 

People have shot off fireworks in the middle of the street for 230 years. Where do you want people to shoot them off, from their rooftops? Sorry to be so inconsiderate to you for one night a year. This is what John Adams wrote to his wife Abigail on the evening of July 4, 1776.....teach your children this: "This . . . Day . . . will be the most memorable Epocha, in the History of America. I am apt to believe that it will be celebrated, by succeeding Generations, as the great anniversary Festival. . . . It ought to be solemnized with Pomp and Parade, with Shews, Games, Sports, Guns, Bells, Bonfires and Illuminations from one End of this Continent to the other from this Time forward forever more."

Lucky for you we don't still celebrate with bonfires and guns.

 

Shop - relax and enjoy the show(s).

As for risk, I would worry more about the drivers you are trying to protect as most of them are probably zipping thru our main arteries.

As for "Let's bring back respect" - HA HA HA HA. I truly doubt ANYONE in America would lose respect for our community for some residents shooting off fireworks!

God Bless America!

 

I wasn't aware the neighborhood as a whole ever lost its respect. When did this happen?

mg:

 

Hmm... you moved to suburbia USA and expect people not to shoot off their own fireworks on the 4th of July.....That's like going to Buñol, Spain and not expecting to see tomatos everywhere....

http://www.pilotguides.com/tv_shows/planet_food/food_guides/spain/tomatina_tomato_festival.php

 

I have to agree with Shop - the fireworks in the middle of the street are dangerous. I've seen house catch on fire from bottle rockets and there were quite a few of those being used for the 4 day weekend. We almost got hit with one when driving down the street last night to go to the Leesburg display. We had the top off of the Jeep and one flew right over our head. What would have happened if it had hit one of us or flow into the Jeep and caught something on fire?
I happen to be very patriotic and enjoy watching the fireworks shows - just not in the middle of the street. Especially on a long weekend like this one. We had four days of our dog scared to death and under the bed because of the neighbors doing fireworks during the day and night.

 

This area is fireworks happy. It's not limited to the 4th either. Some of our neighbors are using illegal fireworks, and have been every year I have lived here. [You know who you are, SFH house on Vestals and Claiborne ]

Problem is that Loudoun's noise ordinances are lax and cops will do nothing anyway. I don't mind them during the 4th but all summer is a bit much.

 

There was a Deputy driving around on July 3rd putting an end to any fireworks in the street he saw. He busted up our block party and I know of at least one other that he stopped.

 

That's interesting. I don't even mind them during the long weekend. Folks need to blow off some steam and the block parties make better neighbors [usually].

 

Busting up a block party??? Really??? Why???? What's wrong with a block party?

 

I think it was because of the fireworks. One neighbor asked him if we could hang out as long as we stopped lighting them and he said something about arresting people for “public drunkenness”. He was pretty unpleasant. My seven year old daughter cried and had to go to sleep with the light on that night and I know that several other young children were scared, too.

 

Those instances have nothing to do with the location from which the fireworks were deployed...a firework launched from someones driveway is just a likely to hit a car or start a fire.

 

Loudoun seems to be the land of happy pyros--back before it saw any development, I'm sure the locals did what they chose on their own property fields.

South Riding had tons of unauthorized stuff in the skies last night. Monday and Tuesday, there were deputies in unmarked pickup trucks confiscating anything illegal they found.

I don't see how the sheriff's dept. could possibly police it all--the most amazing display I've ever seen in the neighborhood was during a severe thunderstorm a few years back, when a block party moved up to the vacant lot near the pool (before this neighborhood built out).

Two plumbers and an auto-body pro brought their blowtorches and there was a massive display along with the thunder and lightning.

My husband still talks about it (wistfully, and with great longing).

 

My complaint is not as much the use of fireworks (including illegal ones) right in front of our house and toddler's bedroom window, but the TIME our neighbors chose do so. They started their obnoxiously loud and illegal display at 11:30pm last night. Some of us do have to go to work on the 5th......

 

That does violate Loudoun's noise ordinance. You can call the fuzz at that point.

 

Oh sure...call people unpatriotic because they enjoy peace and quiet. The ones used on Vestals Gap weren't anything to look at. They were strictly noisemakers!!!
Two years ago some renters in our neighborhood put on quite a spectacular display for nearly two hours amidst all the vehicles. Well the next morning a few people had paint damage to their cars. Well they weren't complaining when they stood watching and ooohed and awwed but were quite upset afterwards.
This year, teenagers were setting off fireworks at our tot lot in the middle of the trees. When will it end? You give an inch and they take a foot!

 

I used to sit out front of my house, with the garden hose ready to douse any illegal rocket heading my way, and there were a few that didn't act the way the people setting them off thought they would.

I didn't mind the fireworks (my cars fit in the garage), I minded the lit debris hitting my roof. I usually soaked the front lawn to keep it from starting a small brush fire.

I missed the 4th of July around here in P-Burgh, I was out of the country, so I don't know the hijinks that went on around here.

 

I am glad that most threads display some common sense.

I, too, have seen a fire started with fireworks. Fireworks in a high density neighborhood does not display patriotism. It displays ignorance. Safety is far more important. If you wish to see LEGAL fireworks, please look up where shows are displayed for your enjoyment.

I am glad to hear that cops were patrolling the streets and giving out fines for people who were using fireworks in the neighborhoo. This is good to know and I'll make sure that I give them a ring next year to chase after the ones that got away with it.