When I was a kid, my family always spent hard earned money on fireworks and literally it went right up in smoke. At the time it was great, but not my money.

As I got older and started waking up well before dawn, people shooting off fireworks from about mid-June through mid-July really started irritating me. Waking up and feeling like I'm in a warzone isn't fun and for some it can be down right torture.

I have many friends that served multiple tours of duty in Iraq and Afghanistan, they fought for the red, white and blue and can't stand the 4th of July holiday. Not because they hate the day, but because of the fireworks. A good number of Americans are veterans and the explosions of fireworks trigger Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. It's important to understand the way a veteran experiences certain situations. Here's a list of ways to help understand what your veteran goes through and how to help.

Shooting off fireworks also is an issue for pets. The loud noises scare and disorient the pet and they will sometimes run away.  Animal control officials across the country say there is a 30% increase in lost pets during the first few days of July. The sad part is that 14% of those pets will never make it back to their owners, all because of fireworks.

In Natrona County consumer fireworks are not ok and there are good reasons behind it. The dry conditions in Natrona County are worrisome on holiday's like the 4th Of July. All it takes is a small spark to ignite a catastrophic wildfire and destroy lots of homes.

The Casper City website states:

There's really only one thing you need to know about consumer fireworks: all consumer fireworks are illegal in the City of Casper. That includes sparklers, firecrackers, cherry bombs, bottle rockets and even poppers. All consumer fireworks are illegal in the City of Casper.