SCARBOROUGH – By the middle of next week, Scarborough will be home to the largest fireworks store in the state. It will also be the only community to boast two such retailers.

With clearances from town officials and the State Fire Marshal’s Office in hand Friday afternoon, Atlas Fireworks set the opening of its store, at 374 Route 1, next to the Big 20 bowling alley, for Saturday morning. Meanwhile Phantom Fireworks expects to open Tuesday at the Gateway Shoppes on Payne Road, near Cabela’s.

Since the sale and use of consumer fireworks became legal in Maine Jan. 1, five stores have opened – in Manchester, Edgecomb, Winslow, Monmouth and South Paris – with showrooms ranging from 600 to 5,500 square feet. Phantom’s store measures 8,000 square feet, including 6,500 square feet of display space. Atlas’ store is 3,300 square feet.

Both companies expect strong starts in Maine, reporting “dozens and dozens” of potential customers stopping by already this week check on an opening date.

Atlas owner Stephen Pelkey said his company sees 60 percent of its annual retail sales in the two weeks before Independence Day. He plans to hire 10-15 employees for the retail store, and another 40-60 to work the display shows his company stages throughout New England. At Phantom, store manager Jared Falls says he plans to hire up to 30 people initially as he expects to sell through one 73-foot tractor trailer truck of product per day. Staffing with then dwindle to “about six” in the winter, he said.

Although Scarborough allows the sale of consumer fireworks, it did take advantage of a local option in the new law to limit use to five days per year – Dec. 31, Jan. 1, and July 3-5. Following the lead of many of Maine’s larger communities, South Portland and Cape Elizabeth have outlawed both sale and use within their borders.

Stephen Pelkey, owner of Atlas Fireworks, opens the first box of product Friday afternoon at his new store at 374 U.S. Route 1 in Scarborough.