CHARLESTON, W.Va. — Despite a rainy Fourth of July weekend this year, law enforcement in Kanawha County responded to dozens of noise complaints about fireworks, thanks in part to a new state law allowing for the purchase of more powerful fireworks in West Virginia.
George Manahan, the owner of a local public relations firm who lives in South Charleston, said his neighbors were setting off loud fireworks throughout the weekend. Manahan said he has found debris from fireworks in his yard and said he believes there needs to be more restrictions on large fireworks inside city limits.
“This weekend, we’ve had large fireworks exploding from both the front and back of our house every night,” Manahan said. “In fact, a stick from one of the fireworks shot through our backyard [Monday night] like an arrow and is lodged in our ground. That could have injured or even killed one of our dogs. Larger fireworks can easily start a fire — they are just unsafe in neighborhood settings.”
According to the West Virginia Fire Marshal’s Office, there were no reports of fires caused by errant fireworks over the weekend, and neither Charleston Area Medical Center nor Thomas Memorial Hospital reported any fireworks-related injuries over the Fourth of July weekend.
Kanawha County emergency dispatchers received roughly 80 noise complaint calls…