Pyrotechnics lovers can start to rejoice! We are down to T-minus one week and counting until South Dakota residents can legally buy fireworks again in the state.

Soon your radio and television will be inundated with fireworks ads every hour because fireworks officially go on sale in just a few days here in the land of the free and the home of the boom.

Those of us who call South Dakota our home can legally buy boxes and boxes of pyrotechnics in all corners of the state from Monday (June 27) until Tuesday (July 5).

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South Dakota residents can even purchase them again later, from (December 28) through (January 1) as fireworks are once again legal to shoot again in South Dakota on New Year's Eve. Although, it seems participation in that pyrotechnics event is far less than on the 4th of July since it's typically around 15 below zero by that time of the year in this state. You stand a much greater risk of freezing your digits off rather than blowing them off in a fireworks accident in December in South Dakota.

Can you shoot fireworks within the Sioux Falls city limits?

Yes and no. Fireworks like; sparklers, snakes, parachute pieces without a flare, basically, anything that doesn't have a report are legal within city limits year-round.

However, fireworks that fly in the air with a report (in other words, the cool stuff that goes boom and lights up the sky) are illegal to shoot inside Sioux Falls city limits.

Someone really needs to drop that little nugget of information on the people in my neighborhood. Last 4th of July it sounded like the streets of the Ukraine on Sioux Falls west side.

Some of the people that live in my neighborhood were putting on fireworks displays last year that would rival the one seen at the fairgrounds. At one point, it got so out of hand last year where I live, that my two dogs still run for cover every time they hear a mouse fart in the neighborhood. (My dogs absolutely hate the 4th of July!)

In theory, should a member of Sioux Falls finest catch you in the act of discharging illegal fireworks inside Sioux Falls city limits, you could be subject to a $95.00 fine in some cases.

If you plan on camping over the 4th, you should also probably know that fireworks are strictly prohibited in every South Dakota state park.

Fireworks safety is something every pyrotechnics lover needs to keep in mind.

Here are a few basic rules and reminders courtesy of the National Safety Council:

• Never allow young children to handle fireworks
• Older children should use them only under close adult supervision
• Never use fireworks while impaired by drugs or alcohol
• Anyone using fireworks or standing nearby should wear protective eyewear
• Never hold lighted fireworks in your hands
• Never light them indoors
• Only use them away from people, houses, and flammable material
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person
• Only light one device at a time and maintain a safe distance after lighting
• Never ignite devices in a container
• Do not try to re-light or handle malfunctioning fireworks
• Soak both spent and unused fireworks in water for a few hours before discarding
• Keep a bucket of water nearby to fully extinguish fireworks that don't go off or in case of fire
• Never use illegal fireworks

Have a safe and happy Independence Day holiday. And as Sergeant Phil Esterhaus would say on the television show "Hill Street Blues,"..."Let's Be Careful Out There."

Source: South Dakota Legislature.gov/National Safety Council