DOWAGIAC — Kevin Hogan has always had an infatuation with fireworks. 

So much so, that four years ago, the Dowagiac resident began selling fireworks in the parking lot of Hales True Value Hardware at 56216 M-51 S., Dowagiac.

His purpose was to provide the Dowagiac community with cheap fireworks, he said.

“I opened so our hometown people didn’t have to go out of town to spend their hard-earned money,” Hogan said.

Even though Hogan’s firework tent is out all month long, he only needs five days to sell fireworks, he said. Up until a week and a half before the Fourth of July, business is relatively slow.

Hogan looks at fireworks as an occasional event.

“It’s something you can deal with a couple times a year,” he said. “First of all, it’s supposed to be celebrating our Declaration of Independence. If someone has an opinion about fireworks that’s negative, that’s their own opinion, but I try to change it. It’s fun. The children like it,” Hogan said, motioning to his young son, who is also helping out in the firework tent.

When it comes to safety precautions and guidelines, Hogan lets the packaging speak for itself.

“Most of the fireworks tell you the safety precautions on them,” he said. “This is consumer fireworks. It’s classy, and we get a license for it once a year to sell fireworks for once a month.”

Hogan recalled how it was not always so easy to get fireworks in southwest Michigan.

“I can’t believe people in this area are shocked,” Hogan said. “We’ve dealt with Indiana selling. We’ve had to go across the state lines for years and years until six years ago to obtain fireworks that went boom.”

While Hogan realizes he cannot control everyone’s behavior, he is respectful when it comes to shooting off fireworks in his own neighborhood. He follows the dates and times, for the most part, which is easier now that firework receipts list that information per Michigan’s state laws. Offseason can be another story, he said.

“Offseason then yeah, fireworks can be kind of startling,” Hogan said. “It’s not more startling than a motorcycle driving by or loud stereo systems or concerts. It’s brief, not repetitive.”

While Hogan shares a love and appreciation for fireworks, others in the area do not.

Sister Lakes resident Earl Peters wants to remind residents before the noise-fest begins, that animals are sometimes less inclined to panic over thunderstorms than sounds like fireworks or gunshots, he said.

“When I owned a horse, it used to panic and break through the fence or kick in her stall trying to get out during fireworks, but wouldn’t even flinch during a storm,” Peters said.

Scott Langer, a Sister Lakes resident, shared his perspective of the fireworks and said the occasional boom should be expected with the resort territory.

“I live here and work seven days a week, and no matter how intrusive or annoying it can be sometimes, this is a resort area I choose to live in, so I respect everyone,” Langer said. “Fireworks I’ll deal with. It’s the people who believe they have entitlements or breaking laws that endanger themselves or others. Or blatantly disrespect or destroy others’ property.”

Opinions aside, safety is still an issue when dealing with fireworks, and Sister Lakes Fire Chief Anthony Lozada recognizes that. He said he can only recall two firework related injuries. One, he said, involved a 15-foot shell someone shot off, and another involved a man with a makeshift firework constructed out of paper towel rolls, he said.

Ultimately, he advised being safe and confirmed the Sister Lakes Fire Department complies with township ordinances.

Cass County Sheriff Richard Behnke said the main thing when it comes to fireworks is following the rules and being safe.

“Michigan law is relaxed, so you can have more powerful fireworks to shoot off, so follow the directions on the packaging,” Behnke said. “In the past when people set off the fireworks, it ends up landing in the box of fireworks and causing a big explosion. We’ve had that happen three times in my career.”

Every year, there are people who lose fingers, hands, even lives because of firework malfunctions as well as misuse, he said.

Currently Michigan.gov states that if a local unit of government does enact an ordinance, the ordinance shall not regulate the ignition, discharge or use of consumer fireworks on the following days after 11 a.m.:

• Dec. 31 until 1 a.m. on Jan. 1.

• The Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Memorial Day until 11:45 p.m. on each of those days.

• June 29 to July 4 until 11:45 p.m. on each of those days.

• July 5, if that date is a Friday or Saturday, until 11:45 p.m.

• The Saturday and Sunday immediately preceding Labor Day until 11:45 p.m. on each of those days.