Several States Mandate a Fourth Without Fireworks
by 
Finding Dulcinea
July 02, 2008
Finding Dulcinea
July 02, 2008 Drought, wildfires, and a shortage of supplies bring a halt to many fireworks displays this Fourth of July.
Due to an ongoing drought in the southeast and wildfires that have ripped through California and Florida, many states have imposed bans on setting off fireworks this Fourth of July.
“What goes up—like fireworks—must come down, and authorities can’t take a chance that that will be in tinder-dry forests or brushlands,” MSNBC reports.
Texas has enforced a $500 fine for setting off fireworks this season and several states, including North Carolina, Oregon, and Utah, have followed suit by declaring their own bans.
Everyone is feeling the effects, from local communities to city officials who orchestrate grand annual displays to rake in holiday profits.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged residents not to use fireworks after an unusually high number of wildfires ravaged the state, but he left local jurisdictions to implement their own restrictions. Many Californians are not willing to give up the tradition and continue to stock up on sparklers and firecrackers, saying that a ban would be “imposing on our freedoms.”
Weather conditions aren’t the only factor to blame for a lack of explosive festivities this year. In February 2008, Yuetong Fireworks in South China, which produces about 90 percent of the U.S. supply, suffered a massive explosion that destroyed 20 warehouses. The company has halted most of its exports, leaving U.S. sellers with limited supplies and prices that have sky-rocketed.
“What goes up—like fireworks—must come down, and authorities can’t take a chance that that will be in tinder-dry forests or brushlands,” MSNBC reports.
Texas has enforced a $500 fine for setting off fireworks this season and several states, including North Carolina, Oregon, and Utah, have followed suit by declaring their own bans.
Everyone is feeling the effects, from local communities to city officials who orchestrate grand annual displays to rake in holiday profits.
California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged residents not to use fireworks after an unusually high number of wildfires ravaged the state, but he left local jurisdictions to implement their own restrictions. Many Californians are not willing to give up the tradition and continue to stock up on sparklers and firecrackers, saying that a ban would be “imposing on our freedoms.”
Weather conditions aren’t the only factor to blame for a lack of explosive festivities this year. In February 2008, Yuetong Fireworks in South China, which produces about 90 percent of the U.S. supply, suffered a massive explosion that destroyed 20 warehouses. The company has halted most of its exports, leaving U.S. sellers with limited supplies and prices that have sky-rocketed.
Tags: Drought , Wildfire , Fireworks , Fourth Of July , Tiner-dry , Arnold Schwarzenegger , Yuetong Fireworks
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