By King Harris ~
Want to be a true patriot this Fourth of July? Don’t set off any fireworks. Period.
I like celebrating the rockets red glare as much as the next fellow, but I have a difficult time feeling comfortable about it when much of the State of California is ablaze in what fire officials are describing as the worst fire season they’ve ever seen, due to the on-going drought.
For years now, the message from fire people has been the same. “Under the circumstances, using any kind of fireworks this year, be they ‘Safe and Sane’ or illegal, is just crazy, because there are so many fires burning in California there aren’t enough resources to fight them; so even igniting the most innocent firework could lead to tragic consequences.
“We’ve never seen California burn so much with such intensity in June, so this is definitely not the time to use fireworks at all.”
Several cities in the state have heeded to such strong sentiment and have banned the use of fireworks for this year. And you would think that such a warning would somehow influence the non-profits and politicos in areas of San Luis Obispo County who benefit from the sale of what are called ‘safe and sane’ fireworks to follow suit, but still several local communities resist and persist.
For many non-profit groups in the county and the state, selling authorized fireworks is their primary source of fundraising income, and it can be very profitable. Some clubs, including local fire and police, get half of their annual incomes from ‘safe and sane’ fireworks sales.
But you know as well as I do that despite the danger of sparklers and pinwheels, another grave concern are fires torched by all the idiots using illegal fireworks, which include airborne rockets, missiles, and firecrackers.
Suffice it to say, that even if all cities in our county forbade the use of any kind of pyrotechnics, people would still break the rules. Add some alcohol and machismo to the mix, and I guarantee you’ll see as many flares in the sky as you would a professional show along our beaches.
“I live in the Five Cities area,” one fire chief once told me. “I know both legal and illegal fireworks go off. If you banned all fireworks, one would assume the problem would be solved. Outlawing them doesn’t make it go away. But anytime you limit ignition sources, you’re going to have much less potential for fire.”
That’s encouraging, but I’m not counting on it when I’m told there are more fires set on the Fourth of July than any other time of the year. Injuries skyrocket as well, especially to kids aged 10 to 14. ‘Safe and sane’ are only safe and sane when used properly. I’m not counting on that either.
And selling fireworks especially this year isn’t prudent for another reason, according to fire officials. “I definitely think it sends out the wrong message because it may be a great fundraiser even a great cause (for non-profits) and sorely missed, but I think it sends the wrong message from the standpoint of problems that is causes because people tend to get fireworks that are legal and mix it in with pop-bottle rockets. People think they can handle it. I think by opening the door for use of any kind sends the message it’s OK to light fireworks to spew sparks all over the place.”
And as sure as Francis Scott Key wrote “The Star Spangled Banner,” you can bet there will be those clowns who can’t wait (and often don’t, to which my dog will attest), to set off their illegal arsenals of rockets and firecrackers they picked up from across our borders and more ear-splitting and deafening than anything this side of Beirut, trying to impress those eager for something more exciting than sparklers or pinwheels.
Firefighters suggest that attending a supervised fireworks display event provides an alternative, and there are many such shows in San Luis Obispo County. They are professionally supervised, inspected, regulated, and controlled.
Unfortunately, with easy access to powerful pyrotechnics being offered these days, there’s a good chance that you won’t have to go the beach or the park to experience the explosions of the bombs bursting in air. Look to the skies in your neighborhood. I just hope it’s not mine.
