Fairfield residents can discharge fireworks Saturday, Sunday

FAIRFIELD — Fairfield residents will have two days to discharge fireworks in celebration of Independence Day.

Fireworks can be discharged in the city from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 3-4, which is Saturday and Sunday. Jefferson County does not have a fireworks ordinance that restricts when they can be discharged.

In 2018, the city Council spent a few months debating when to allow fireworks because the consensus among council members was that the window of time from the prior year was too long, from June 30 until July 8. The council ultimately settled on allowing fireworks on July 3-4. Fairfield City Administrator Aaron Kooiker said the council did not discuss changing the ordinance this year.

Fairfield Hy-Vee has one of the town’s three fireworks tents in its parking lot. The tent is managed by members of the Murphey family in Fairfield, who are selling Bellino Fireworks. Jewelianna Murphey and her brother Evan said Wednesday that running the stall has required help from the whole family and others, since someone has to guard the fireworks at all hours of the day.

Jewelianna and Evan’s parents Patricia and Curtis Murphey run the stall. The family parked a camper next to the tent so it’s easier for them to monitor it. Evan said he provides security at the tent from 4:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., and his dad takes over at about 10 p.m. Keegan Bailey said he provides early morning security at the tent, which is open from 8 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Jewelianna is the main cashier at the tent, and said she spends the most time there of anyone in the family because the money raised from selling fireworks will go toward paying for her dance classes.

Jewelianna attends Dance Inc. in Ottumwa, which holds a class every Tuesday and competitions once a month. Jewelianna said the studio covers all sorts of dances such as ballet, jazz, tap and contemporary. Though she attends the competitions, she’d like to be able to attend more classes so she can improve, so she hopes that the firework sales will allow her to do that.

Evan and Jewelianna said they’re generating between $2,000-$3,000 in revenue every day. They opened the tent on June 23, and they’ll remain open until Monday, July 5. Bailey said one of the highlights thus far was having a customer who purchased more than $400 worth of fireworks. The customer joked that he wanted to “tick off his neighbor,” Bailey said.

A person must be 18 years old to purchase fireworks, and if those under 18 wish to discharge them, they must have adult supervision. Bailey said customers should heed the safety warnings and follow the directions detailed on the fireworks’ packaging to ensure there are no mishaps when they’re having a good time.

He said to make sure fireworks are set off in an open area, that the tube containing the firework is not at an angle, and that a hose is ready to put out any fires. He noted that to feel especially safe, the fireworks tent sells 10-foot fuse extensions that can be attached to the firework so a person can light it from a safe distance.

Fairfield’s city fireworks’ show will be held at dusk Sunday at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds.