Pierce County urges fireworks safety due to dry conditions

Fire marshal wants to avoid burn ban

Susan Schell

of the Gateway

Fire officials will be keeping a close eye on weather conditions this Fourth of July weekend. The recent dry spell has left fertile conditions for fires.

“I think this year they really want people to think about the weather conditions,” Pierce County Fire Marshal Wayne Wienholz said. “Things are drying out very quickly. The weather forecast is for continued dry conditions with little or no rain through the Fourth of July. People need to be extremely careful during this.”

Wienholz said it’s been years since the county has enforced a burn ban over Independence Day.

“We are very close to putting a burn ban on county-wide, but I don’t see that happening yet,” he said.

The fire marshal noted that a burn ban would require an assessment of all public displays and prohibit the use of private fireworks. Officials encourage people to attend the large, public displays instead of having their own.

“If something lands in a dry, grassy field next to you, you’ve got problems,” Wienholz said. “A small fire will turn into a big fire very quickly. Professionals monitor the landing areas. That’s part of the deal. They have to actually go through and pick up everything they’ve done.”

Wienholz said the best way to stay within legal parameters is to purchase fireworks at one of the many public fireworks stands.

“People need to be very cognisant of anything they’re not buying at a legal stand,” he said. “They need to know what they’re using. The rule of thumb is, if it has sticks or fins, it’s probably illegal.”

Fire officials advise people to go on one of many fireworks safety Web sites and familiarize themselves with the rules.

“Children should never be left unattended with fireworks,” Wienholz said. “We can’t emphasize enough how dry it is out there, and it’s only going to dry out more. Please, please be careful.”