Fireworks are a growing menace in residential communities

Recently the media reported on a story about dangerous homemade bottle bombs that were found in Baltimore County ("'Bottle bombs' dangerous pranks — and possible felony," May 13). Unfortunately this problem is but the tip of a much larger problem in the county, namely the routine detonation of loud, explosive fireworks in residential communities for personal entertainment, especially on summer weekends around dusk. Otherwise peaceful communities, including my community just north of Parkton, are repeatedly bombarded with what sounds like shotgun blasts and exploding mortar shells.

In effect, the perpetrators force their violent entertainment on everyone living nearby, including those who just want to enjoy a quiet evening at home. Otherwise peaceful communities are infused with a violent, unsafe ambience.

Everyone has the right to live in a safe, peaceful community. Detonating explosive and incendiary fireworks in residential communities is no more appropriate than standing in one's backyard and firing a shotgun into the air for fun or staging a drag race through the streets.

Unfortunately, it appears that we have now reached the point in Baltimore County where's it's OK to detonate explosives and launch incendiary devices around people's homes as long as they are labeled "fireworks."

In recent years I have made repeated calls and written letters to county officials and the police about this problem. But the county statute regarding fireworks is not being enforced, and it now appears that little if anything will be done about it until there is serious injury or a major fire.

Fred Medinger