BOZEMAN, Mont. – It’s the question I ask myself every winter: Should I use a snow blower or a flamethrower to clear the snow from my driveway. I’ve always opted for the snow blower in extreme cases, but perhaps I should re-think that.
Footage has emerged on Facebook of a Kentucky man clearing his driveway of snow with a flamethrower. See below.
This got me thinking: Is it legal to use a flamethrower to remove snow from neighborhood sidewalks and driveways? My next stop was the Internet because even though I hate Google, it does provide a ready answer for just about any question a human can think of. Sure enough, it took five seconds to find out this regarding flamethrowers:
- They are not considered weapons, and there are apparently no federal laws governing private ownership of flamethrowers or flamethrower-like devices. They are banned in only one state: Maryland.
- Buying a flamethrower may be legal, but using one may not be. Some counties do require a permit to use them, so a call to the Gallatin County Sheriff’s Department (or your local sheriff, if you’re not in GC) would be highly recommended.
- You can actually buy a flamethrower for about the cost of a high-end snow blower. Who knew? Certainly, not me.
Personally, while it would sound cool to tell people at parties I own a flamethrower, I think in the end, it’s probably easier to just use my snow blower. It just seems safer, and I don’t have to worry about burning up my wife’s dormant flowers next to the sidewalk. Pretty cool video, though, of the Kentucky man who opted for the flamethrower.
