South Dakota Lights The Fuse On Fireworks Sales Starting June 27th

There are two times of the year my dogs absolutely dread: football season and fireworks season.

Before you assume they're anti-American, let me explain. Football season means they're forced to watch me suffer through another Miami Dolphins campaign, and anyone who knows anything about football knows the Dolphins are just plain awful most seasons. So Sunday afternoons around my house tend to be noisier than the 4th of July itself.  Then of course, there's fireworks season, where most Sioux Falls neighborhoods turn into what sounds like a military training exercise every night for a week straight.

Unfortunately for my two hounds and any other dogs just like them, they need to start working on their annual evacuation plan as fireworks season officially begins this weekend across South Dakota.

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Starting Saturday, June 27, fireworks go on sale statewide to residents, and if you've lived anywhere in the Sioux Empire for more than five minutes, you know what that means. Fireworks stands will be packed, pickup trucks will be loaded, and neighborhoods from Sioux Falls to Harrisburg, Tea, Brandon, and beyond will soon be filled with the sweet aroma of gunpowder.

And this year, we can expect things to be even louder!

After all, America is celebrating its 250th birthday. If South Dakotans love one thing, it's finding a reason to make things go boom.  America's 250th birthday pretty much guarantees that the skies over the Sioux Empire will be glowing red, white, and blue from dusk until...well, much later than your pets would prefer.

Under South Dakota law, fireworks retailers can sell consumer fireworks from 8:00 AM until Midnight through Sunday, July 5. Residents can legally discharge fireworks during that same period, although local communities often have their own restrictions regarding when and where fireworks can be used.

In Sioux Falls, officials generally encourage residents to leave the large-scale displays to the Jaycees. But let's be honest, every neighborhood seems to have at least one person who believes they're qualified to direct the halftime show at the Super Bowl from their backyard.

While the fireworks are fun, there's another concern this year: drought conditions.

According to recent drought monitoring data reported by Dakota News Now, more than half of South Dakota is currently experiencing drought conditions. Portions of Minnehaha County are dealing with severe to extreme drought, meaning dry grass and fireworks can become a dangerous combination in a hurry.

That's why local fire officials are urging residents to keep water nearby, monitor weather conditions, follow local regulations, and use common sense when lighting fireworks.

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Have fun celebrating 250 years of freedom. Just remember to be safe, watch out for dry conditions, don't sacrifice any digits to the fireworks gods, and if you happen to hear a strange noise coming from a laundry room somewhere in Sioux Falls, it's probably just my two dogs howling and hiding inside a Maytag waiting for their Uncle Sam to stop lighting off things that go BOOM and BAM until the wee hours of the morning!