Drought & Heat Concerns Could Burn 4th of July Fun

Just as we thought the COVID-19 pandemic was loosening its grip on our fun and finally letting us out to play, suddenly Mother Nature might have other ideas.

Iowa's News Now says that with the state in the thick of a prolonged heatwave and major drought conditions, and the 4th of July a mere couple of weeks away, fireworks events may be put on hold or canceled if some raindrops don't come falling on our heads (apologies to the late, great B.J. Thomas).

Fireworks are technically illegal for private use in Cedar Rapids, but communities are allowed to make their own regulations and when we say we don't want the weather to put a damper on our festivities, in this case, we actually do. State law allows fireworks from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily from June 1 to July 8 and while there has certainly been no definitive announcement as to changes in public fireworks schedules for Independence Day, conditions as they are now make it dangerous indeed. Ryan Schlater is a fire specialist with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and says there is potential these activities could have to be adjusted.

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Meanwhile, there are no current official burn bans in effect for recreational burning in Cedar Rapids (remember those from the derecho and quite a while after?) but Cedar Rapids fire marshal Vance McKinnon says it's possible there could be one issued. Residents are currently asked to refrain from recreational fires and open burning nonetheless.

It's not for sure how much rain it would actually take to make conditions safer for fireworks but in short, here's a plea to dear Mother Nature to give us some. Check out a quick guide I found on fireworks safety tips in general.