I'd say you might want to use the 55-200mm lens (but that depends on the distance as you said). I've tended to use my 18-55mm lens in the past, but I don't think that I'm usually a mile away from where the fireworks are being let off. I'd say use the lens that lets you zoom in to the fireworks but also lets you zoom out enough to capture some of the surrounding area.
This year I'm thinking of trying my 10-20mm lens for the winter carnival fireworks that are happening in the middle of July just for a change.
One other thing that I can't remember if that blog article mentions is to find your focus and then switch to manual focusing. That way your camera won't start hunting for focus when you start shooting.
Best of luck! It's a fun challenge
