Burn bans cool-off firework business

SALINE COUNTY, AR - "Yesterday we had five customers all day," said Rickey Dixon while standing in front of his A-1 Fireworks stand in Alexander. He didn't have many customers Monday either. He says the hot, dry weather is cooling off his business.

"Oh yeah, very much so," he said. "People don't want to buy them because they don't think they'll be able to shoot them off."

That's because a little more than a week away from July 4th, more than 35 counties have burn bans in effect.

"During a burn ban, any source of fire outdoors is prohibited, and fireworks is a source of a fire," explained Saline County Emergency Management Director Terrell Burks.

According to a National Fire Protection Association report released this month, an estimated 15,500 fires started in 2010 because of fireworks. Beyond that, Burks says Arkansans need to be extra cautious of fireworks this year because of the weather.

"I've been told that a firework burns at close to 7000 degrees so, you know, it don't take much to get a fire going at this point," he said.

Bottom line, most are rooting for rain sometime before July 4th, and if that doesn't happen and you're still thinking fireworks ...

"If you do buy them and you fire them off," said Dixon, "be careful."