The Arrowhead
No Fourth FireworksSunday, July 29, 2012 By Caroline Bong
In Waukesha County this summer, there has been extreme drought that has led to dry land and a high risk of forest fires. This has not only alerted people to be more careful but there has been a ban put in place on all kinds of burnings. This means that for the Fourth of July this year many lakes this year will not be shooting off fireworks. Not only does this put a damper on the festivities but it also is frustrating many local residents. For example, a woman named Debbie Bong who lives in the Village of Nashotah does not understand why Beaver Lake is not shooting off their yearly fireworks. “Beaver Lake’s fireworks have always been shot off of a barge which has almost zero risk of anything then catching on fire. There is no reason that professionals should not be allowed to shoot off the fireworks in celebration of the Fourth of July this year,” she says. On top of that, all at home firework assortments are not allowed this year. There are many different kinds of these assortments such as aerial repeaters, firecrackers, sparklers, parachutes, and many more. This ban though can be justified. The DNR has reported that almost all of southern Wisconsin has a very high chance of forest fires. This means that there are very dangerous conditions in which the fires start and spread extremely easy. Forest fires in this rating have a very difficult time being controlled and the DNR recommends no burning. While the ban of all fireworks for this Fourth of July are not going over well with some local residents, the DNR has an awfully good reason to because of the very high risk of forest fires. Forest fires are not to be taken lightly with not only the chance of houses, schools, and other businesses burning down, but the possibility that several people could be extremely injured or even killed. |