RESIDUE HAS STUCK AROUND THE CITY CREATING HAZARDOUS CONDITIONS. <FIREWORK NAT POP> MANY IOWANS LOVE TO SHOOT FIREWORKS TO CELEBRATE INDEPENDENCE DAY. AND SINCE IOWA LEGALIZED THEM IN 2017-- THEY'VE BECOME INCREASINGLY POPULAR. <8074 TYLA BRINKER 29:07-10"YEAH THEY'RE HERE THERE AND EVERYWHERE"> <LEEROY PORTER 4:23- 24"THEY DON'T REALLY BOTHER ME. "> DESPITE BEING ILLEGAL IN DES MOINES, HUNDREDS-- IF NOT THOUSANDS-- LAUNCHED THE COLORS INTO THE NIGHT SKY IN THIS CLIP FROM THE KCCI SKY CAM ON JULY 4TH 2020. BUT THE NEXT MORNING... WE BECAME THE LOS ANGELES OF THE MIDWEST! THE SMOKY FIREWORK RESIDUE CLUNG TO THE AIR AND REFUSED TO LIFT. <8083 LEEROY PORTER 5:32-43"WHAT I DO REMEMBER IS ALL THE SMOKE AND I KNOW A LOT OF PEOPLE WERE UPSET. AND IT WAS KIND OF TOO MUCH"> THAT MORNING-- DES MOINES' AIR QUALITY WAS THE WORST IN THE COUNTRY AND ROUGHLY FOUR TIMES WORSE THAN ANY OF THE SMOKE THAT HAS ROLLED IN FROM THE CANADIAN WILDFIRES ACCORDING TO AIRNOW.COM BUT AIR QUALITY EXPERTS WITH THE IOWA DNR TELL KCCI ANY ADDITIONAL SMOKE, SHOT UP INTO THE AIR, IS GOING TO MAKE WHAT'S ALREADY UP THERE A WHOLE LOT WORSE. AND HEALTH CARE WORKERS SAY IT COULD CAUSE BREATHING ISSUES. <FIREWORKS SAFETY DOCTOR COLETTE GALET UIHC 3:24- 28"RESPIRATORY ISSUES CAN BE A PROBLEM AS WELL"> COLETTE GALET WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA HOSPITALS AND CLINICS SAYS IF YOU'RE ALREADY HAVING TROUBLE BREATHING FROM THE WILDFIRE SMOKE, STAY AWAY FROM THE FIREWORKS AND STAY INSIDE. <2:54-59"WHEN YOU SHOOT YOUR FIREWORKS, YOU CREATE SOME SMOKE AND WE KNOW RIGHT NOW THE SMOKE WE'RE SEEING RIGHT NOW IS VERY UNHEALTHY."> IT IS ILLEGAL TO SHOOT OFF FIREWORKS IN DES MOINES, WEST DES MOINES, ALTOONA, PLEASANT HILL, CLIVE, JOHNSTON, URBANDALE, WINDSOR HEIGHTS AND AMES. LIVE IN DES MOINES BEAU BOWMAN KCCI 8 NEWS IOWA'S NEWS LEADER.