SCARBOROUGH, Maine (NEWS CENTER) -- Governor LePage showed his support for local fireworks stores for their first 4th of July doing business in Maine, but telling Mainers and people visiting from out of state to be safe and abide by state laws.
Governor LePage and acting State Fire Marshal Joseph Thomas toured Phantom Fireworks in Scarborough Monday afternoon. LePage and Thomas both stressed the importance of abiding by state laws. Fireworks must be purchased in a licensed store because they only sell the types of fireworks that have been given the ok from state regulators.
You have to be at least 21 years old to buy and use fireworks, and giving them to anyone under 21 is a crime.
Both the the fire marshal and the governor had strong reactions when asked about Monday's fire in Portland caused by a child playing with sparklers.
"Fireworks getting into the hands of children by an adult 21 years of age or older is a criminal statute as opposed to being just a misdemeanor," Thomas said. "So it is very serious and we will enforce it."
"Where were the parents?" LePage asked.
The State Fire Marshal's office has information about how to legally purchase and use fireworks on its website.
NEWS CENTER