By Andy Dahn

BLOOMINGTON – Fourth of July means fireworks, which can sometimes cause serious injuries.

McLean County Sheriff Jon Sandage said extra caution must be taken when setting off fireworks.

“It’s not just the explosive part of it, but a lot of these fireworks burn at a very high temperature,” Sandage said. “So they can do a lot of damage to you.”

Local authorities are urging residents to stick to legal fireworks only.

“There’s a lot of danger involved when you bring fireworks in from out of state,” said Sandage. “That’s why the big firework displays that you do see need a permit. A lot of that is regulated by the state Fire Marshall’s office because of the ingredients in the fireworks.”

Sandage added that fines for shooting off fireworks are rare as officers generally seek compliance when complaints are made.

Police are also cracking down on drinking and driving during the holiday weekend. Sandage said drivers pulled over on suspicion of drunk driving could be subject to blood tests.

“You run into that when you have repeat offenders who kind of know the system,” Sandage said. “They refuse to do all of your field sobriety tests, they refuse the breathalyzer or the option of giving blood or urine. So in a case like that, we would seek a search warrant to take that person to the hospital and get their blood.”

Andy Dahn can be reached at [email protected].