11/30/2010
A fireworks industry lobbyist, Mike Williams, is among those who helped in writing the new law in the state of Arizona, which legalizes the sale of fireworks. Williams said that the major fireworks vendors are not coming to Flagstaff because they do not simply find it sensible to sell fireworks in wooded areas. This would include parts of northern Arizona, one of which is Flagstaff.
As of December 1, state law requires cities to allow fireworks to be sold. However, even if these are allowed to put on sale, their use would still be prohibited on federal and state trust land.
The City of Flagstaff passed a law, which allows sparklers to be used, but not fountains and cones. The city attorney is currently reviewing the said law. Other municipalities in the area also banned the use of sparklers even if the sale would be considered as legal.
City officials’ concern and fear was that these sparklers may start a widlands fire. The City of Flagstaff took an unusual step, requiring vendors to make a registry of the buyers of fireworks.
It is most likely that fireworks vendors would focus their sale of fireworks on metropolitan areas like Tucson and Phoenix, however, it would not stop other retailers like Walmart and different grocery stores from selling said fireworks or sparklers locally.
