Pyrotechnic enthusiasts don't have to wait any longer - today's the day to start buying firecrackers, fountains, artillery shells, Roman candles, smoke bombs, snakes, snaps and sparklers.

Fireworks sales begin today in North Dakota and run through July 5.

In Bismarck, people cannot shoot off any fireworks - even things like snakes and sparklers.

"You cannot even possess them in the city," Bismarck Police Lt. Randy Ziegler said.

People most often get caught with fireworks when other people call in complaints or during traffic stops, he said. If officers find people with fireworks in the city limits, the fireworks will be confiscated, Ziegler said.

Possession or discharge of fireworks in the city limits of Bismarck is a Class Bmisdemeanor, punishable by up to 30 days in jail and a fine of $1,000.

In Mandan, the rules regarding fireworks are a little more liberal - some fireworks can be shot off in city limits between 8 a.m. and 11 p.m. July 1 through July 5. Fireworks that cannot be shot off in the city include skyrockets, bottle rockets, Roman candles and similar devices.

Fireworks can be shot off outside city limits, as long as burn bans are not in effect. Burleigh and Morton counties have modified burn bans, which allow burning unless a red-flag warning has been issued for a county or when the North Dakota Rangeland Fire Index is in the "very high" or "extreme" index for the county.

Morton County Emergency Manager Tammy Lapp-Harris said fire danger hasn't been very high in the area. The entire state was in the "low" range on the Rangeland Fire Index on Thursday.

"We're going to probably stay OK through the Fourth,"Lapp-Harris said.

Law enforcement officials expect to get numerous calls complaining about fireworks in the coming days.

"If they start selling them today, it'll start today and won't stop until about a week after" the holiday, Ziegler said about the complaints.

Law enforcement and health officials also are concerned about preventing injuries from fireworks. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, nearly 10,000 people were treated in emergency rooms in the United States in 2007 for fireworks-related injuries. Eleven fireworks-related deaths were reported in 2007, the same number as in 2006.

Of the injuries in 2007, 64 percent occurred during the one-month period surrounding the Fourth of July, the CPSC says. According to the U.S. Fire Administration, firecrackers annually cause the most injuries, followed by bottle rockets and sparklers.

Diana Read, director of the state Health Department's injury prevention program, said no local data is available on fireworks injuries.

Burns are the most common injury from fireworks reported, she said. Injuries often are to hands, eyes and legs.

"Kids are at risk, especially, during this time," Read said.

She said children should not be around fireworks unsupervised.

"My biggest tip is active supervision," she said.

Read also suggests the following tips:

n Fireworks should be lit off according to instructions and on a smooth, flat surface away from homes and flammable substances.

n Never have any portion of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse, and only light one at a time. Move back a safe distance immediately after lighting.

n Never try to re-light or pick up fireworks that have not fully functioned.

n Never point or throw fireworks at another person.

n Keep a bucket of water or a garden hose handy in case of fire or other mishap.

n Never carry fireworks in a pocket or shoot them off in metal or glass containers.

n After fireworks fully complete their functioning, douse the spent device with plenty of water from a bucket or hose before discarding to prevent a trash fire.

(Reach reporter Jenny Michael at 250-8225 or jenny.michael@bismarcktribune.com.)