America's 250th fireworks party collides with burn-bans
Firework associations expect a massive boom in backyard fireworks this July 4, a surge that collides with dry conditions and a blistering heatwave that could drastically increase the risk of fires.
Why it matters: Climate change is increasing the likelihood and severity of wildfires, and large chunks of the U.S. are under burn bans because of severe drought.
What they’re saying: “It only takes one small spark landing in dry vegetation under the right conditions to start a fast-moving wildfire,” April Newman, a public information officer at Cal Fire, tells Axios.
Embers can smolder for over a minute, Newman says, “increasing the potential for ignition even after the visible display has ended.”
Even if a lawn looks green, the “eye test can be deceiving,” Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center, tells Axios. Dig just a few inches into Mid-Atlantic soil, “you hit dryness again.”