Showers of sparks are OK.

Loud noises are not.

That's the simple message the Leelanau County Sheriff's Department wants to spread heading into Fourth of July celebrations, which are historically a haven for those loud noises.

“We are going to be taking an active enforcement stance at the public fireworks,” warned county undersheriff Scott Wooters. “(Firecrackers) create a dangerous situation, especially with a large crowd of people.”

Wooters said fairly rigid laws against fireworks — their sale and possession — have been on the books in Michigan for some time. It’s been common place for law enforcement officers to turn their heads at the loud noises that tend to dominate gatherings at this time of year.

Not so for the 2007 Fourth of July holiday, Wooters said.

“Maybe it’s been looked upon as the one day of the year we could let it slide,” said Wooters, who added that in past officers often simply confiscated fireworks contraband. “But it’s endangering people’s lives.”

So Wooters is offering a simple message to Leelanau residents: anything that flies up in the air and goes boom is illegal in Michigan. Get caught selling or in possession of such fireworks, and you will likely be issued a misdemeanor citation that comes with a fine.

Wooters said enforcement may spread to the private fireworks displays that can often be spotted over Glen Lake and Lake Leelanau. He said more deputies will be working during and near the Fourth of July than at any other time of the year in Leelanau County.

Deputies will also be checking on the roadside stands advertising “fireworks” that crop up in the days preceding the Fourth of July.

“We’ve had complaints about that in the past, and if they are of the same genre that emit a shower of sparks, it’s OK,” said Wooters.

There is one type of fireworks that is legal — sparklers.