Fireworks Safety Very Important Due to Dry Conditions in South Dakota

Pyro technics lovers light your fuses, today is the first day South Dakotans can start buying fireworks for the 4th of July.

It seems like most fireworks lovers can never wait until the 4th to start sending their skyrockets in flight. That's why over the next 8 days, I'd be willing to bet you'll begin to hear the familiar sound of fireworks in a lot of neighborhoods throughout the Sioux Empire.

While it's true most fireworks are illegal to discharge within the Sioux Falls city limits, it never really seems to stop anyone. Heck, every 4th of July, the neighborhood I live in sounds like a battle raging in Kyiv. I'm usually picking up the remnants of spent fireworks cases in my yard for several weeks after the 4th.

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For that reason, the city, and the state is cautioning its residents to be extra careful with things that go boom this year due to the dry conditions. Even with the nearly two inches of rain that we've seen over the last couple of weeks here in the Sioux Empire, most of the state is still well below its average rainfall amount for this time of the year.

Despite the dry conditions, fireworks should be even more popular this year as the cost to buy them has dipped somewhat over last year. As Dakota News Now reports, in 2022 supply chain issues stemming from the pandemic meant higher prices for fireworks buyers. This year, consumers should see a bit of a break at the cash register, which will likely create even more backyard celebrations, meaning a greater chance for fires to pop up as a result of neighborhood displays.

Yankton County emergency manager, Paul Scherschligt, who is tasked with issuing burn bans for Yankton County, told Dakota News Now, “We always have concerns about fireworks in general. Don’t get me wrong. I don’t mind shooting them just like the next guy. Sometimes we kind of forget, I say we, the general public, it depends on where you shoot them. I mean, you could get a rocket up in the air and it comes down, lands in somebody’s gutter, or lands in the leaves of the gutter. You know, it could start a fire in that manner.”

If you plan on putting on your own pyro technics display this 4th of July, it's always a good idea to think about fireworks safety first. Having a garden hose and a bucket of water handy is a smart thing to do, and most importantly be aware of your surroundings and think about where your fireworks could potentially land.

Remember fireworks that contain an audible report, projectile, or launching component are in theory illegal inside the city of Sioux Falls.

My neighbor Todd, down at the end of the block never seems to get that message. Each year he puts on a fireworks display that could rival Macy's 4th of July celebration in New York.

Looks like it's time to put Sioux Falls Fire and Rescue on speed dial again.

Source: Dakota News Now