STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. – Sterling Heights residents racked up more than $22,000 in fines over the Fourth of July holiday weekend for illegal firework use, and city leaders say state law is tying their hands when it comes to keeping neighborhoods safe.
Violations pile up
The city issued 38 fireworks violations over the holiday weekend, citing residents for shooting off fireworks on the wrong dates, after approved hours, or while intoxicated.
But Assistant City Manager Dale Dwojakowski says those violations barely scratch the surface of the actual problem.
“We have homes set up on 60-foot-wide lots, and what doesn’t make sense is lighting explosive devices that go 100 feet in the air,” Dwojakowski said. “They explode into a million pieces, and then we get hundreds of residents calling to complain that there is debris on their lawn, their roof, their gutters, their pool.”
State law limits local authority
Under Michigan law, fireworks are permitted during specific state-mandated holiday windows.
During those windows, cities like Sterling Heights have little say over what gets set off or when.
“We as a local municipality can’t really alter the times,” Dwojakowski said. “We can’t really alter what is discharged.”
That frustration has led Sterling Heights to push state lawmakers for local control, including fewer approved days, shorter hours, and stricter safety restrictions such as limits on aerial fireworks in densely populated neighborhoods.
“We are not trying to stop fireworks in the state of Michigan,” Dwojakowski said. “We just want some local control here in Sterling Heights to make it better for our residents.”
Residents weigh in
The issue prompted strong reactions on social media.
On Facebook, one resident wrote that people were setting off fireworks until 1 a.m.
Another said allowing fireworks for several days is too much, adding that the day of and maybe one more day is plenty.
But some said they love them.
New complaint tool launched
For the first time, Sterling Heights launched an online form allowing residents to file firework complaints directly, with those submissions automatically forwarded to state lawmakers.
300 residents have already filled it out.