Fire safety patrols will be out in force to seize illegal fireworks and there will be zero tolerance, Heggie added.
A town in Colorado will continue its show
While some areas are canceling their shows, one town in Colorado is choosing to keep the tradition alive. Louisville, Colorado, a city northwest of Denver, hopes to continue its fireworks show in an effort to prevent wildfires. The city’s website noted that it hopes to “reduce the number of illegal private performances” by displaying them, which is actively monitored by the fire department. Six months ago, the Marshall Fire ravaged parts of Boulder County, including Louisville. Burning more than 6,000 acres, the fire reached the golf course where the city will host its fireworks show on Monday. “We actually scaled back the fireworks display this year in order to focus on the community experience leading up to the fireworks,” the City of Louisville website noted. “The goal of the celebration is to be inclusive and welcoming to the entire community as we heal together from the Marshall fire.” On Denver’s south side, another city opted to cancel its fireworks show because of the current fire danger. Castle Rock, Colorado has been under Stage 1 fire restrictions since April. Castle Rock Fire Chief Norris Croom said the show was not worth the risk. “We didn’t want to jeopardize the safety of our community because of errant fireworks or debris,” Croom stressed. More than half of Colorado experiences drought, making the environment highly susceptible to wildfires. Only professional, permitted fireworks displays are allowed in the state and all other fireworks are considered illegal.
California officials are warning about the dangers of fireworks
Another city hit by the recent wildfires is choosing to do something radically different. North Lake Tahoe, which went through the Caldor Fire in 2021, will skip fireworks in favor of a drone light display.” The decision was made considering the fire and environmental risks of a fireworks display, replacing a long-standing tradition with a innovative new approach,” announced a release from the city. However, a traditional fireworks display will go on as planned in South Lake Tahoe, an area that was evacuated in August due to the Caldor fire. Claremont, California, a far eastern suburb of Los Angeles, is replacing its fireworks show with a free community concert. The city explained in a press release that water restrictions due to the ongoing drought played a large role in their decision to cancel. “Preparation for the fireworks show requires extensive watering in the days leading up to the show, accounting for approximately 650,000 gallons of water,” the press release said. With a hot and dry holiday weekend ahead, officials in California are reminding residents of the state’s vulnerability to wildfires given the ongoing drought. “The reality is that every year we have fires started by legal and illegal fireworks,” Heggie admitted. Heggie’s biggest concern is small explosives such as bottle rockets and Roman candles, and people using “safe and sensible” fireworks in areas where they are illegal. He warned: “Please understand that your good intentions can have disastrous consequences.” Pacific Gas and Electric Company also asks customers to “put safety first” and follow local rules and regulations regarding fireworks.
New Mexico governor signs executive order banning fireworks
New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham signed an executive order in late April calling on counties, cities and local governments to consider banning certain fireworks because of “severe drought and fire conditions” across the state. And as the largest wildfire in New Mexico’s history continues to burn, cities like Albuquerque hope to prevent further devastation. “Albuquerque has a unique urban interface of wildland with open space areas that are constantly threatened by wildfires,” the ordinance noted. the city fireworks. “These fires would endanger the lives of those who live nearby and many species of wildlife.” The city has banned fireworks in open spaces, but has allowed fireworks purchased from retail stores and kiosks within city limits. “Read the warning label. If it says ‘WARNING’ it’s illegal. If it says ‘CAUTION’ it’s legal.” writes the fireworks ordinance. Albuquerque has already begun patrols across the city ahead of the holidays. The city warns “those arrested will be reported and have a mandatory court appearance.” Albuquerque will continue its free Freedom Fourth of July show, which includes professional fireworks.
Laser lights instead of fireworks
Replacing its traditional fireworks show, Salt Lake City, Utah hosts a laser light night twice in July. Lynze Twede, events manager for Salt Lake City Public Lands, said the city council voted to shift funding from a fireworks display to an “alternative event” earlier this year. “[The city council] he wanted to make a change and try to lead by example to improve our air quality and not contribute to the already high fire risk,” Twede stressed. Salt Lake City hopes to captivate its audience and entertain people of all ages with the transition to a laser light display hosted on July 2nd and July 23rd. “People can still come and expect to see an awe-inspiring show. But in this new and innovative way, we’re just lighting up our sky a little differently this year,” added Twede. Much of western Utah, including Salt Lake City, is under a red flag Saturday through Monday “for wind and low relative humidity,” according to the National Weather Service’s Salt Lake City office. Strong, southerly winds 20 to 30 mph are forecast with gusts up to 45 mph possible Sunday and Monday afternoon and evening. Winds are expected to decrease overnight. And across Arizona, the pipeline fire recently forced hundreds of Flagstaff residents to evacuate. The fire is mostly contained, but the Flagstaff burn risk remains. To continue its annual city celebration, Flagstaff hopes to have a safe event using a new laser light show in its historic downtown. “Switching from traditional fireworks to a laser light show was the responsible action to take due to the extreme fire danger with the dry and hot conditions in the North Country,” said Flagstaff City Manager Greg Clifton. “It’s extremely important to have a safe celebration and be fire aware.” The United States Forest Service warned that fire restrictions can vary from place to place, so it’s important to check local fuel bans. The Arizona-New Mexico border may expect scattered storms throughout the holiday weekend due to the southwest monsoon, which has improved drought conditions slightly in the two states, but the summer outlook across the West continues to look warm and dry.
