Leftist Enclave Asks Residents To Report ‘Illegal’ Sparkler Celebrations During America 250

As America gears up to celebrate its 250th birthday, one leftist city reminded residents that sparklers are illegal and said anyone defying the ban should be reported to the authorities. 

City officials in Alexandria, Virginia, posted an announcement on Wednesday, declaring that it is illegal to set off fireworks or light sparklers within the city and asked for its residents to call authorities if they witnessed any illegal patriotic celebrations. Alexandria is located about 10 miles away from Mount Vernon, the home of President and General George Washington. 

“Fireworks are illegal in Alexandria, including sparklers. Report illegal fireworks by calling 311. Our show is next weekend,” the city posted on social media. 

Fireworks are illegal in Alexandria, including sparklers. Report illegal fireworks by calling 311. Our show is next weekend. Join us for the City Birthday celebration on July 11 at Oronoco Bay Park. Free admission. More info at https://t.co/De5QV2xucz. pic.twitter.com/QP6nEwynmS

— AlexandriaVAGov (@AlexandriaVAGov) July 1, 2026

According to the Alexandria Fire Department, it is even illegal to store fireworks or sparklers within the city limits. People caught with fireworks can be fined up to $2,500 and face up to a year in jail. 

“Fireworks are illegal in Alexandria. It is against the law to buy, sell, store, or use any fireworks inside the City, including sparklers and novelty items. This applies even if the fireworks were legal to buy in nearby counties or cities,” the fire department posted in May.  

The fire department claimed that sparklers “are not safe” and that “nearly half (46%) of people burned by fireworks last year were burned by a sparkler.” Other Democrat-run cities like Chicago and New York City also have sparkler bans in place. 

Conservative commentators reacted to the call to report illegal sparkler use with scorn. 

“Welcome to Virginia, where the government wants to eliminate mandatory minimum sentencing for rape, child pornography distribution, and armed robbery — but encourages neighbors to snitch on each other for ‘illegal sparklers’ on the 4th of July,” said Daily Wire host Isabel Brown.

“In Alexandria, Virginia, they want you to rat out your neighbors for their fireworks but will fight to their last breath to protect illegal aliens,” said Republican consultant Tim Murtaugh.

Former Virginia Republican attorney general Jason Miyares said, “This is just flat Un-American.”

Alexandria is known for its far-Left politics with rainbow colored “Pride” crosswalks painted across the streets in the city’s historic Old Town section and officials’ condemnation of federal immigration enforcement. 

Since Alexandria will not have its fireworks display until July 11, patriotic residents could cross over the Potomac River and attend President Donald Trump’s fireworks display on the Fourth, which he has said will be the “largest firework show in history.” 

America’s Founding Fathers wanted celebrations of the country’s independence to include fireworks, with John Adams once writing that independence should be commemorated with “bonfires and illuminations from one end of this continent to the other from this time forward forever more.”