Drought Makes Fireworks More Dangerous

6/29/2011Lori Smith

If You Use Fireworks, Use Caution

Despite the recent rain, southeast Louisiana is still suffering from a serious drought. To read more about current drought conditions see the U.S. Drought Portal:

http://www.drought.gov/portal/server.pt/community/drought.gov/202

Due to the drought, there's a statewide outdoor burn ban in place that was issued on May 31, 2011. You can see it, and any updates, on the State Fire Marshal's site:

http://sfm.dps.louisiana.gov/sfm_pressreleases.htm

So, if you choose to celebrate the 4th of July with fireworks this year, please be extremely careful. Here are some sources of information about how dangerous fireworks can be and about how to use them safely:

Consumer Product Safety Commission, Fireworks Information Center (includes a video that demonstrates the damage fireworks can do)
http://www.cpsc.gov/info/fireworks/index.html

Consumer Product Safety Commission, Fireworks Fact Sheet (includes list of states where consumer fireworks are legal)
http://www.cpsc.gov/CPSCPUB/PUBS/012.html

National Fire Protection Association, Fireworks
http://www.nfpa.org/categoryList.asp?categoryID=297&URL=Safety%20Information/For%20consumers/Holidays/Fireworks&cookie%5Ftest=1

Have a safe and happy holiday weekend!