The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Drought woes in West spark fireworks fears
Officials cancel displays, pass bans on setting off fireworks, urge caution.
SALT LAKE CITY — Many Americans aching for normalcy as pandemic restrictions end are looking forward to traditional Fourth of July fireworks. But with a historic drought in the West and fears of another devastating wildfire season, officials are canceling displays, passing bans on setting off fireworks or begging for caution.
Fireworks already have caused a few small wildfires, including one started by a child in northern Utah and another in central California. Last year, a pyrotechnic device designed for a baby’s gender reveal celebration sparked a California blaze that killed a firefighter during a U.S. wildfire season that scorched these con d-highest amount of land in nearly 40 years.
Some regions of the American West are experiencing their worst drought conditions in more than a century, said Jennifer Balch, director of the Earth Lab at the University of Colo- rado. People setting off fireworks at home is a concern because of both the tinder-box conditions ripe for starting wildfires and the threat of injuries. Last year, injuries spiked to their highest level in 15 years after the pandemic canceled large gatherings, federal data shows.
“As a fire scientist, I’m bracing myself for this fire season because of how dry and hot it is already,” Balch said. “I think fireworks right now are a terrible idea.”
Fireworks industry profession- als, who also stressed caution in drought-prone areas, expect strong sales despite a shortage caused by pandemic-related manufacturing slowdowns and trade disruptions.
“We think we’re going to have a tremendous year,” said James Fuller, a fireworks safety expert with Alabama-based TNT Fireworks.
While fireworks are integral to the country’s Independence Day celebrations, they ignite thousands of fires a year.
Laws vary; buyers travel
State fireworks laws vary considerably across the U.S., but local bans on personal fireworks are pop- ping up from Montana to Oregon, which was stricken by massive wild- fires last year.
In Arizona, which already is being scorched by more than a dozen wildfires, many cities have canceled their public fireworks shows.
It’s a similar story in Colorado, where dozens of shows have been scuttled, including in Steamboat Springs, a ski town where firefighters are already spread thin.
“The grass always catches on fire ... why are we doing something that causes fire when fire’s our biggest issue?” said Winnie Delliquadri, town special projects manager.
But in neighboring Wyoming, business is booming at fireworks stores, including sales of products prohibited elsewhere. The parking lots fill on weekends, and many cars have out-of-state plates.
“It’s not just Colorado,” said Ben Laws, manager of Pyro City. “We see people from Nebraska, we see people from Montana, we see people from all over coming to buy.”
Safety tips
A show that draws tens of thousands of people to Lake Tahoe, Nevada, near the California state line, was originally canceled for the second year in a row, but organizers later decided to mount a “smaller, safe fireworks experience.” Holding fireworks shows over water is one of the safer ways to celebrate, officials say.
The industry urges people lighting their own fireworks to follow local restrictions, pick a flat location a safe distance from homes, have a water source at hand to douse used products and dispose of them carefully.
Last year: 15,600 ER visits
Some safety officials would rather see people avoid lighting their own fireworks altogether.
Michele Stein berg with the National Fire Protection Association pointed to federal data showing 15,600 Americans went to emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries last year, thousands more than the previous year.
“I love watching the fireworks displays, but they’re honestly not safe in consumer hands,” Steinberg said. “Even a sparkler can get up to 1,200 degrees, which is actually how hot a wildfire burns.”