County prepares for fireworks for first time in 28 years - Saline County

KSN - June 29, 2009

SALINE COUNTY, Kansas - With less than a week away from the Fourth of July firework stands are open for business - even in Saline County where commissioners there lifted a 28-year ban on them in May. Now, the county is preparing.

Fireworks don't go on sale until Wednesday, but giant tents are already popping up around Saline County, keeping rural fire departments on alert.

"They're geared up for a lot of fires," said Dean Speaks, interim director of Saline County Emergency Management. "They're looking at it like people are not used to it and it's so dry out there right now. We're probably going to have quite a few fires."

When county commissioners voted to lift the ban, rural firefighters spoke out against it, saying the ban has been effective in decreasing the number of calls. But they expect those calls to go up this weekend.

A major concern for firefighters is that residents of Salina, where fireworks remain illegal, will drive out into the county and light them off on open land.

"People have gotten to the point where they have probably forgot how dangerous they are and even though they're made as safe as they can make them, they're still dangerous and we're still going to get people hurt and so take a little time and read the directions," Speaks said.

Even though they'll be legal in the county, residents can't just light fireworks off anywhere. Residents must set them off on private property or have written permission from that property owner. Firefighters hope rules like that will make the holiday a safe one.

Fireworks are also legal in the neighboring counties of Dickinson and Ottawa.