County residents urged to practice fireworks safety
By Kathy Thomson
This Saturday is Independence Day, and Albany Volunteer Fire Department chief Kyle Tischler reminded anyone planning to set off fireworks to be safety conscious.
“I’m always excited about July 4, and I enjoy fireworks,” Tischler said. “I just ask folks to be safe about it and make sure to supervise children and use common sense.”
Firefighters warn that dry brush and vegetation, mixed with fireworks, can easily ignite, and there are rules and ordinances that must be followed by everyone setting off fireworks.
Shackelford County is under a burn ban at this time, and the use of fireworks is never allowed inside the city limits of either Albany or Moran. Use of fireworks on county roads is also prohibited.
Violators can be fined up to $500, and any fireworks they still have can be confiscated.
“Don’t set (fireworks) off on public roads or public land,” said Shackelford County Rural Fire Department chief Brad Henry. “Make sure that you have the landowner’s permission. Also, make sure that you have a good water source available if you are going to set off fireworks.”
If someone accidentally starts a little fire, they can use the water to help extinguish it before it gets out of control, according to the rural fire chief.
“I would urge people to consider personal safety and property destruction when enjoying their fireworks,” said Tischler. “Many people who use fireworks are conscious of these things, but sometimes they can get so involved that they forget about personal safety. And kids generally don’t think about safety concerns during our fireworks fun.”
According to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission, fireworks were involved with an estimated 10,000 injuries treated in U.S. hospital emergency departments during the calendar year 2019, with 7,300 of those happening between June 21 and July 21. Burns were the most common injury, while hands and fingers were the most often injured part of the body.
“And these numbers are only the ones that were reported,” said Tischler. “I can’t stress enough how important it is to carefully watch your kids when enjoying fireworks.”
Annually there are tens of thousands of fires started by fireworks causing millions in property damage, according to Tischler.
“This includes structure fires, car fires, and grass fires, all started by fireworks,” said Tischler. “And with the current amounts of available fuel load and conditions of that fuel, a fire can and will be devastating in no time at all, especially if it’s a wind driven fire. Couple that with the fact that every volunteer fire department is always short staffed, and you have the makings for a really bad day.”
The local fire chiefs asked everyone to use caution.
“We want everyone to thoroughly enjoy our Independence Day and to really know why we celebrate, but we ask that they do it safely and with concern for others,” said Tischler. “The landowners don’t want to have their places burned up, and with the extreme shortage of firefighters, we don’t have the personnel to be battling any unnecessary fires.”
Henry echoed those sentiments.
“Use lots of caution,” said Henry. “The firefighters would like to be able to enjoy the Fourth with their families and not have to work battling fires because of someone else’s mistakes.”
Local fire departments would welcome more volunteers, according to the city VFD chief.
“If anyone would like to join any of the fire departments in the area, contact me or any firefighter,” said Tischler.
People who want to enjoy the booms and light shows without worrying about the possibility of starting a fire can attend one of the firework displays in the area, including ones in Abilene, Putnam, and Cisco.
Along with the evening fireworks, there will be live bands, food trucks, a military fly over, and a children’s area at the third annual “Abilene Freedom Festival” on Saturday, July 4.
Gates at the Expo Center will open at 4:00 p.m. on July 4. Ticket prices are set at $25 for adults and $10 for children ages 10 to 15. Masks are encouraged, but not required.
The Putnam VFD is sponsoring a fireworks display at the Putnam school house at dusk on Saturday, July 4. Donations will be accepted.
The Cisco Chamber of Commerce is sponsoring a drive-in circus at the Loboes football field which will include a fireworks show on Saturday, July 4. Entry fees are $35 per car load. The circus begins at 8:00 p.m.
Participants are encouraged to make sure that these events, which were still scheduled as of press time, are not later cancelled due to COVID-19 concerns.
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