Dry conditions put damper on fireworks

By CHARLES WILSON and STEVEN K. PAULSON

Associated Press

DENVER — Drought and wildfire fears are snuffing out some Fourth of July festivities this year.

From Utah to Indiana, state and local governments are calling off annual fireworks displays out of fear that a stray rocket could ignite tinder-dry brush and trigger a wildfire. They’re also warning residents not to use fireworks, sparklers or Roman candles in backyards.

The worry is especially acute in the West, where crews are already battling out-of-control blazes in several states. Parts of the Midwest are affected, too, after weeks without any significant rain.

“We usually have a fireworks barge and a huge gala that attracts thousands of people,” said Bill Appleby of the Grand Lake Area Chamber of Commerce, which represents the lakeside resort town about 90 miles northwest of Denver in the Rocky Mountains. The display is usually safe out on the water, but “we just can’t risk an errant ember.”

It’s not uncommon for communities to delay or cancel fireworks shows because of drought conditions, but this year, the practice is more widespread.

Last year, about a third of the country was in drought. Now nearly three-quarters is, according to the latest U.S. Drought Monitor map, a weekly analysis of dryness across the nation.

Fires have charred more than 1.8 million acres this year in the U.S., and much of Utah, Colorado, Wyoming and Montana have been under red-flag warnings for extreme fire danger.

In Colorado, where hundreds of homes have been destroyed by flames in the past month, firefighters have said they don’t have the time or resources to stand watch over public events. At least nine public fireworks displays have been called off.