Bad news for pyromaniacs — fireworks aren’t legal in North Carolina. An N.C. statute forbids anyone from making, buying, selling, transporting or even possessing them in the state.

The law does allow milder pyrotechnics that are hand-held or sit on the ground, such as sparklers, party poppers, smoke bombs, toy pistol caps, fountains and devices with less than 200 grams of chemical compound.

“A good rule of thumb is if it spins, leaves the ground in any way, shoots, then it’s illegal,” said Kristin Milam, director of public information for the N.C. Office of the State Fire Marshal.

Anyone who breaks the law could be charged with a class 2 misdemeanor or a class 1 misdemeanor if the fireworks are indoors.

N.C. residents also can’t get around the law by bringing fireworks back from neighboring South Carolina, where they are legal.

But Wilmington-area residents hankering for fireworks can still attend professional displays, which require a permit from the county board of commissioners or the town, including the following Fourth of July events:

Carolina Beach: Fireworks are launched on the beach in front of the Boardwalk at 9 p.m. Friday, July 3.

Downtown Wilmington: The 13th annual Battleship Blast is a large display of choreographed fireworks over the Battleship North Carolina at 9:05 p.m. Saturday, July 4.

Southport: The N.C. Fourth of July Festival culminates in a fireworks display over the town’s waterfront at 9 p.m. Saturday, July 4.

Date posted: June 23, 2009