JAWM it is night three of fireworks and I am over it

[cintinative]

And so is my poor dog. It sounds like they are trying to blow the neighborhood up. I am so tired from not getting enough sleep the past few nights.

 How can people even afford so many fireworks? Between the grocery prices and gas, it is horrible. 
 

I know— waaaaaah. I feel curmudgeonly right now

[itsheresomewhere]

My dog agrees with you. 

[mommyoffive]

Me too.   I always hate 4th of July.  It has been going on for hours and hours and hours here, when it wasn't even dark.  Why when there is a city fireworks show?  Poor pup.

I feel like this year I am hating it even more.  With the shooting that happened in IL and just all the shootings, it just feels more stressful and scary this year to me.   It sounds like a war zone outside.  

And reading of the 11 year old who died playing with fireworks.   I am just not in good place this year.

[Junie]

I love fireworks, but I understand that they are stressful for some people.  During the fireworks show that I watched this weekend, I realized that the sound will likely be traumatic for the children of Uvalde.  😞 

[MercyA]

I agree with you. My dog wants to be with DD but is so anxious that he won't let her sleep. 😞 

I love families getting together today, but I really dislike the noise of the fireworks. People in my neighborhood set them off for any and every reason, it seems, all summer long. And they are the *loud* kind that used to only be used by the town fire department.

I also feel so badly for the wildlife affected by the fireworks. My poor yard bunnies. I am sure they are terrified. And some birds even die from fright during fireworks:

https://www.animal-ethics.org/how-fireworks-harm-nonhuman-animals/

But, hey, don't take our explosions away from us. That would be un-American.

Edited July 5, 2022 by MercyA

[KungFuPanda]

Our city fireworks got much quieter, so there is some movement in the right direction. I know that’s not much consolation when your annoying neighbor is setting off cherry bombs nearby. 

[cintinative]

Ours are the loud kind too mercy. I am so sorry. 

We have two sound machines and a bathroom vent going but nothing can cover this up. 

[Farrar]

I tried to go outside and enjoy them, but there were so many over top that the debris was raining on me and I got a little nervous. They look nice from my window - at least the ones right overhead. I don't have as good a view of the others from inside.

I try to just let it go. I mostly enjoy them. I mean, yeah, they're a huge waste of money. And they're dangerous (a kid was seriously injured across the street last year). But... they happen. They're pretty.

I do kind of wish they'd turn down the music. I can enjoy Cardi B as much as the next person and all, but... I'm hoping it stops at midnight. I mean, not the fireworks. They'll go way later. But, like, the massive speaker system on my specific block.

[happi duck]

I love the pretty kind (not the loud kind) and even I'm over it by now.

I watch from inside because one year I was hit so hard by debris I ended up with a welt and a bruise on my chest!

I much prefer a town show at a certain time and then done.

Fireworks are illegal here and the town even sent a letter outlining the fines, confiscating etc but it's still really loud tonight.  How are the people shooting skyrockets for hours not getting shut down?  They're basically sending up a flare every few minutes!

[Ausmumof3]

I love fireworks because they’re rare here but three nights sounds like a bit much!

[Scarlett]

30 minutes ago, cintinative said:

And so is my poor dog. It sounds like they are trying to blow the neighborhood up. I am so tired from not getting enough sleep the past few nights.

 How can people even afford so many fireworks? Between the grocery prices and gas, it is horrible. 
 

I know— waaaaaah. I feel curmudgeonly right now

Same here…..thankfully my dog isn’t bothered by it at all.  The city ordinance says they are suppose to stop at 10…. It is 10 after and they are still going.

I feel bad for ds21. He gets up at 4 am for work. 

[J-rap]

4 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Same here…..thankfully my dog isn’t bothered by it at all.  The city ordinance says they are suppose to stop at 10…. It is 10 after and they are still going.

I feel bad for ds21. He gets up at 4 am for work. 

Just curious... How is it they're supposed to stop at 10 when it doesn't even get dark until 10 where we live?  Does it get dark earlier for you?

[teachermom2834]

Growing up people didn’t really set off fireworks at home where I lived. I guess it was illegal and actually enforced. My mom bought us sparklers in Canada one year and I burned myself very badly so I’m kind of traumatized. When I moved south I kind of couldn’t believe the level of fireworks people set off in neighborhoods. I’m admittedly skittish about them. I don’t want my kids handling them but as long as they aren’t going to burn down my house I guess have at it once a year. But I’m not really comfortable with it. 

I’ve always been surprised at how many people have fireworks in our pretty dense neighborhood but there is an obvious change since 2020. When the city fireworks were canceled that year people really took things into their own hands and took the home displays to a whole new level. Seems people enjoyed doing them at home and haven’t really gone back to the city show as much. We get multiple people just in the neighborhood putting up some pretty serious displays that we didn’t see prior to 2020. We have actually decided to stay home to keep an eye on our house. 

We will have a big cleanup of debris in our yard tomorrow which is not only annoying from a clean up perspective but seems really weird people are shooting off fireworks that close to my house that I have to clean it up. 

So I hate to be a downer but I am not a fan. 

Edited July 5, 2022 by teachermom2834

[Scarlett]

Just now, J-rap said:

Just curious... How is it they're supposed to stop at 10 when it doesn't even get dark until 10 where we live?  Does it get dark earlier for you?

I think it was dark about 9….not positive though.  

[J-rap]

Makes sense then.  I live in a northern state where fireworks don't even begin until 10.

[Scarlett]

I am reading on FB that the towns show did not start until 10…..technical difficulties. 

[Corraleno]

I would love to see firework displays replaced with drone light shows, as some cities in the west are doing this year due to wildfire risk. It's still fun and entertaining, but it's so much better for wildlife, pets, people with PTSD, and just people who want to sleep.

Edited July 5, 2022 by Corraleno

[Clarita]

Three nights you are lucky. I've been hearing them for the last week. (Better than 2019 where they were going off for at least 3 months straight.) I don't mind the official fireworks because they only last 30min and occur only on the celebration day (we have pro sports teams nearby so during their season they may have fireworks once a month). The unofficial fireworks I don't like, of course where I live there is also actual firearms going off as well.

[bookbard]

Fireworks are banned in Australia except for one area (Northern Territory) for one night only. Of course that's private fireworks - they still have them a bit for official things but ever since the big Fires, there's been less public support, and there's been more support for Drone shows instead. Really hope that becomes the future.

[HSmomof2]

I agree with you….I like a good, professional fireworks show, but this lighting them off in the neighborhood is just loud, obnoxious, and a fire hazard. My cats are scared, and I have to work at 6:30 am……I’m feeling curmudgeonly also. 

[Terabith]

I hate them.  My kid is terrified of them. My cats are scared of them and won’t eat. I can’t let Obama out.  And they never ever stop.  The same people who say they can’t afford gas apparently have enough money for fireworks to set them off from 4 pm till 2 am for several weeks.  
 

 

[Tanaqui]

Nothing says AMERICA! like triggering flashbacks in vets.

[kristin0713]

Same. Three nights of sitting with my traumatized hyperventilating dog. I have no problem with a town fireworks display by why do people have to set them off IN THE NEIGHBORHOOD right over our houses. 

[historically accurate]

DH just walked out of the bathroom with a grumbling, "Well, that was a horrible night of sleep." They went until about 2 am in my neighborhood, as they have been all week. I expect about 2 more days of it.

[Pamela H in Texas]

I agree with you! My dog hates them like crazy.  I worry they'll wake the little kids.  Hubby and I have to get up (do other people not have to?). I also worry about various people who would find the noises traumatizing.  And they are illegal anyway! So break the law and be disrespectful...lovely. 

[Katy]

We just moved to a new area, and they are horrible here. The neighbors are all trying to out-do each other. I’d say every 2-3 houses had huge displays, and half of those were bigger than the town displays of our last neighborhood. And lasted longer. And the fine for doing them outside the designated hours is only $250. I bet many of these people spent over $25,000.  It was beautiful but my 4 year old was basically having a panic attack for hours. Literally sounded like a war zone.

[Mrs Tiggywinkle]

9 hours ago, Corraleno said:

I would love to see firework displays replaced with drone light shows, as some cities in the west are doing this year due to wildfire risk. It's still fun and entertaining, but it's so much better for wildlife, pets, people with PTSD, and just people who want to sleep.

My community replaced the annual fireworks with a drone show this year.  Unfortunately while it was amazingly well attended, there were so many complaints I doubt they’ll do it again.  It was difficult to see well unless you were in a specific place that would only fit around 2500 people, and in previous years for fireworks they usually had ten times that, so I’m not sure the thinking there.  Plus it lasted seven minutes.  It was really cool, but I doubt they’ll try it again.

we call it Guess If It’s fireworks or gunfire season at work. I personally just always assume it’s gunfire and take cover, but half the time it’s fireworks. It’s ridiculous.  I don’t know how people afford it either, especially considering the poverty level here.  It’s a lot of fireworks for the last two weeks. My state only legalized them the last five or six years, I think. My grandparents got them from a bordering state one 4th of July when I was a kid and shot them off,  they lived on a 100 acre farm out in the country and figured they’d be fine.  The cops still showed up and fined them, so it was somewhat enforced.

I like the show that licensed fireworks companies put on. I don’t like everyone having fireworks they shoot off all night. My kids and dogs don’t mind them, but the ground is dry and people shot them off in our new village last night where houses are crowded close together, and that made my Assistant Fire Chief husband very grouchy. He’s still miserable this morning and I’ll hear about it all day. 

Edited July 5, 2022 by Mrs Tiggywinkle

[HomeAgain]

We're out at a lake this week.  Our next door neighbors set off the big ones on the 3rd, so our ears were still ringing on the 4th.  It was seriously a private fireworks show like the town has.

My kid was thrilled to set off some of the small boxes for the first time in his life last night and eat s'mores.  But nobody has slept before 11pm due to the various dock shows all around us.

[Farrar]

I managed to get to sleep right on time! Some of them did wake me around 1:00 am, but I fell right back asleep. I'll never forget the year the kids were babies and they couldn't sleep and I couldn't sleep and the whole sky kept being lit up right outside the windows all the way until 3:00 am. 

They're illegal here. Which is hilarious because no one tries to enforce it.

I can never work out how I feel about it. The money thing doesn't bother me because I make a policy not to judge what luxuries people indulge in. And while the environmental damage isn't great, I'm in a city. I'm not convinced this actually hurts the rats and pigeons that much. I mean, I did see some rats freaking out about it all last night in a neighbor's yard, but, honestly, do I feel bad? No. I hope the debris hit them and they died. I don't like that it upsets the humans and their dogs though.

[stephanier.1765]

10 hours ago, mommyoffive said:

Me too.   I always hate 4th of July.  It has been going on for hours and hours and hours here, when it wasn't even dark.  Why when there is a city fireworks show?  Poor pup.

I feel like this year I am hating it even more.  With the shooting that happened in IL and just all the shootings, it just feels more stressful and scary this year to me.   It sounds like a war zone outside.  

And reading of the 11 year old who died playing with fireworks.   I am just not in good place this year.

It was worse this year than in any year past. They felt bigger and closer. Maybe they were but it still felt scary. At midnight when it had quieted down somewhat, there were 4 great big bangs in quick succession right behind our house. They didn't sound like firework bangs but gun bangs and scared the living daylights out of me. It took a long time for my heart to stop racing. This is the first year I've ever felt anxiety over fireworks but it really was so bad. 

[Xahm]

8 hours ago, Terabith said:

I hate them.  My kid is terrified of them. My cats are scared of them and won’t eat. I can’t let Obama out.  And they never ever stop.  The same people who say they can’t afford gas apparently have enough money for fireworks to set them off from 4 pm till 2 am for several weeks.  
 

 

I think this poster has some important information, but it may exacerbate one of the struggles many veterans deal with. Veterans have often times had difficulty in professional and personal relationships because people treat them like fragile emotional basket cases with no ability to deal with negative stimuli. Images like this that directly compare them to animals can contribute to this as well as feel personally insulting. I actually saw this one labeled with something about "people, animals, and veterans." Not all veterans have PTSD, not all those with PTSD are triggered by loud noises, and many people with PTSD triggered by loud noises aren't veterans. I certainly don't bear any ill will to those sharing such things. Obviously they are acting out of very good intentions. I just recommend finding a different image next time.

I had 2 kids in my bed last night because they couldn't sleep surrounded by the explosions that went on near us until very, very late.

[Scarlett]

I had the times wrong for this town.  They allowed fireworks until 11. 
 

And Apparently the towns display had a accident….no one was hurt though.

[73349]

I am in such a bad mood today. People were shooting off fireworks until well after 11. (The public display was at ~9, but people do their own anyway.) I think if we *must* have fireworks, they should be limited to the 3rd unless the 4th is a Friday or Saturday... and while I'm up here on this soapbox, Independence Day would make more sense in September to commemorate the British giving in at the end of the war, not the printing of the declaration--at least at that time of year it gets dark early enough for people to use their stupid explosives at a more decent hour.

Edited July 5, 2022 by 73349

[Arcadia]

@Clarita Great America typically does fireworks all summer. The fireworks display they had last night was nice but not as elaborate as the ones before the pandemic. Probably cost cutting. I don’t mind Great America’s fireworks as they typically start at 9:45pm and it is only 15mins.  We do mind the illegal fireworks from neighbors and hearing fire engines going by and wondering if any single family homes caught fire. 

[Grace Hopper]

We’ve had four nights of it so far, hopefully there won’t be any tonight. I was particularly jumpy last night after the day’s shootings. 

[Happy2BaMom]

What's interesting is I don't remember it (it = massive amounts of fireworks over numerous nights) ever being an issue up until the last.....few-to-several years(?)....or has that just been where I have lived (meaning, has it always been a problem for decades & I've just been lucky)? 

Like, what is up with people needing to do this?

Edited July 5, 2022 by Happy2BaMom

[MercyA]

This is from a few years ago, but I think it's wonderful and I've seen articles about people doing it this year too:

 

[QueenCat]

23 hours ago, J-rap said:

Just curious... How is it they're supposed to stop at 10 when it doesn't even get dark until 10 where we live?  Does it get dark earlier for you?

It doesn't get dark enough until about 10 here either. 

[Arcadia]

A family home got burned. https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/east-bay/fireworks-pittsburg-house-fire/2936499/

”A home in Pittsburg was destroyed by a fire caused by illegal fireworks Monday, firefighters said.

The fire was reported on Lynbrook Drive near Los Medanos College.

The battalion chief said the flames were in the house when they arrived to fight it and that it was started by people setting off fireworks in the area.

The two people inside were able to grab their pets and make it out safely.”

[Tree Frog]

We're in a significant drought. Fireworks are banned in the city, but not the county. I'm currently out of town, but from pictures on FB and Next Door, there were about 5 houses in nearby neighborhoods that burned down. When people got upset about the fireworks causing these fires, the people pushing back were saying maybe it was the homeless or maybe it was due to someone's cigarette. It could be due to those things, but when there are so many fires in the same night as huge fireworks, I doubt it's due to a cigarette or homeless.

It made me really angry that people didn't think of the consequences of sparks in a very dry area. If the fireworks sparked a grass fire, it would affect so many more that just 5 families. I was very thankful to see that there were significantly fewer fireworks in our neighborhood. With the way July 4th and New Year's are celebrated, I was very concerned about our house.

I love to watch city controlled fireworks. The neighbors in our neighborhood usually usually have huge individual displays that rival the one our closest city puts on. I don't like the risk of fire it puts on homes whose occupants aren't seeing off fireworks. 

[Grace Hopper]

9 hours ago, Happy2BaMom said:

What's interesting is I don't remember it (it = massive amounts of fireworks over numerous nights) ever being an issue up until the last.....few-to-several years(?)....or has that just been where I have lived (meaning, has it always been a problem for decades & I've just been lucky)? 

Like, what is up with people needing to do this?

We had a few go off this afternoon/evening, but not as much as I expected to hear. There were more this year than I remember in a long time -  more big ones both in terms of spectacular display and sudden big loud non-flashy blasts. I chalk it up to people wanting to get back to pre-covid sort of “normal.”

 

[vonfirmath]

10 hours ago, Happy2BaMom said:

What's interesting is I don't remember it (it = massive amounts of fireworks over numerous nights) ever being an issue up until the last.....few-to-several years(?)....or has that just been where I have lived (meaning, has it always been a problem for decades & I've just been lucky)? 

Like, what is up with people needing to do this?

It has been an issue as long as we've lived in our current neighborhood (10 years)

And I can remember going to a movie theater on July 4th when pregnant with my almost 15 year old to avoid the fireworks noise.

[easypeasy]

I love fireworks at public places. I love fireworks at friends' houses who live kind of out in the country without close neighbors nearby.

This year was, hands down, the worst year for neighborhood fireworks. They're not even legal where we live.

Usually, there will be one neighbor/one night worth of annoyance. Most everyone else does small poppers and such that make some noise, but aren't super loud/messy/annoying. This year was a solid week of 3-hour-long explosions from multiple neighbors.

Topping that with the fact that I don't feel much like celebrating this year just made it all the more annoying. *sigh*

[Spryte]

We have a newish neighbor — moved in last year — and last 4th was his first here. Holy cannoli. Huge fireworks show, bigger than our town’s large display. This year was even bigger.

He had tents for the BBQ catering, volleyball, organized games, bounce houses, seating, around (DH thinks) 300. Speaker system, loud cheering. I have never seen anything like it in our private neighborhood. The party was all day, people drove in from all over the place, and the show went on and on and on. Echoes off our pond make the noise sound boom from multiple directions.

That’s in addition to the other neighbors, who all set stuff off on the 3rd, knowing the huge show would be on the 4th.

It’s crazy. 

Our cul de sac and yard is a mess of fireworks debris from the next door neighbor. I’m tired of waiting for them to clean it up, so sending the kids out with bags today. 

Neighborhood fireworks like this are illegal here. I wish they would leave it to the pros!

[KungFuPanda]

21 hours ago, Tree Frog said:

We're in a significant drought. Fireworks are banned in the city, but not the county. I'm currently out of town, but from pictures on FB and Next Door, there were about 5 houses in nearby neighborhoods that burned down. When people got upset about the fireworks causing these fires, the people pushing back were saying maybe it was the homeless or maybe it was due to someone's cigarette. It could be due to those things, but when there are so many fires in the same night as huge fireworks, I doubt it's due to a cigarette or homeless.

It made me really angry that people didn't think of the consequences of sparks in a very dry area. If the fireworks sparked a grass fire, it would affect so many more that just 5 families. I was very thankful to see that there were significantly fewer fireworks in our neighborhood. With the way July 4th and New Year's are celebrated, I was very concerned about our house.

I love to watch city controlled fireworks. The neighbors in our neighborhood usually usually have huge individual displays that rival the one our closest city puts on. I don't like the risk of fire it puts on homes whose occupants aren't seeing off fireworks. 

What sort of insanity would lead someone to spend 10-20 thousand of their own dollars on fireworks???? This does not compute. 

[Spryte]

8 minutes ago, KungFuPanda said:

What sort of insanity would lead someone to spend 10-20 thousand of their own dollars on fireworks???? This does not compute. 

Right?!?

I don’t get it.

[QueenCat]

13 hours ago, KungFuPanda said:

What sort of insanity would lead someone to spend 10-20 thousand of their own dollars on fireworks???? This does not compute. 

In our neighborhood in TN, there was one street that put on a show together. One guy collected the money and a couple of guys went to the store & put on the show. There were probably 20 people who contributed around $300 each. Most gave the guy $20-30 a month to spread it. It was an awesome show that we could see quite well from our deck. 

[stephanier.1765]

23 hours ago, Spryte said:

We have a newish neighbor — moved in last year — and last 4th was his first here. Holy cannoli. Huge fireworks show, bigger than our town’s large display. This year was even bigger.

He had tents for the BBQ catering, volleyball, organized games, bounce houses, seating, around (DH thinks) 300. Speaker system, loud cheering. I have never seen anything like it in our private neighborhood. The party was all day, people drove in from all over the place, and the show went on and on and on. Echoes off our pond make the noise sound boom from multiple directions.

That’s in addition to the other neighbors, who all set stuff off on the 3rd, knowing the huge show would be on the 4th.

It’s crazy. 

Our cul de sac and yard is a mess of fireworks debris from the next door neighbor. I’m tired of waiting for them to clean it up, so sending the kids out with bags today. 

Neighborhood fireworks like this are illegal here. I wish they would leave it to the pros!

I hope you leave the bags of debris on his lawn. He would not be my favorite neighbor. Ugh.

[historically accurate]

We had a couple of nights with big storms (so hail & thunder noise) which meant no fireworks those nights. Apparently, the neighbors still have the fireworks because they were going off last night.

[kbutton]

1 hour ago, historically accurate said:

We had a couple of nights with big storms (so hail & thunder noise) which meant no fireworks those nights. Apparently, the neighbors still have the fireworks because they were going off last night.