Waukesha's 4th of July Fireworks End Early After Grass Fires
Fireworks canceled despite best efforts to keep Independence Day tradition.
The Waukesha Fourth of July fireworks show came to an early ending after small grass fires began sprouting up due to severe dry conditions.
Although the Waukesha Fire Department used the Waukesha County Expo grounds where the fireworks were held for pump training this week, the ground still wasn’t wet enough to prevent fire. Some fires sprouted up across the street on the north end of the expo center near Crites Field.
After the show was canceled, people reacted in various ways on Waukesha Patch’s Facebook and Twitter accounts.
From Facebook:
- “Worst fireworks show ever…”
- “Well what do you expect? I mean it is quite dry out there. People complain about way too much.”
- ‘It IS dry out and I hope other idiots out there aren't shooting off fireworks in their backyards! However the expo center was "watered" because the fire dept did their pump training, and if that wasn't wet enough to prevent a fire...I can't imagine how bad the rest of the city is!’
From Twitter:
- “Hey, we can now boast the best ground effects of any fire display in the county! #Waukeshafireworks Now that's a fire!”
- “Whoops. Maybe shouldn't have had fireworks considering our drought (small fires started).”
What do you think about the Waukesha fireworks being ended early?
Tell us in the comments.
In This article
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City of Waukesha Fire Department
130 W Saint Paul Ave, Waukesha, WI -
Waukesha County Expo
1000 Northview Rd, Waukesha, WI -
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Waukesha County Airport/Crites Field
2525 Aviation Rd, Waukesha, WI
James B. Simmons
12:17 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
THANK GOD.....NOBODY WAS HURT...
James B. Simmons
12:33 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
I heard this waukesha police officer ask this drunk guy...DO YOU KNOW WHERE ARE? The drunk guy said YEP! The officer said WHERE ARE YOU THEN! The drunk guy said ...HERE!
Pennyluhu
1:26 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
Fireworks should've been canceled. Have we learned nothing from the devastation in Colorado?
Tom Chantry
6:01 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
The grass fires did not start on the North end of the field, but across the road actually on the grounds of the airport. The fact is that a stiff breeze began blowing shortly before the fireworks show. Sparks were blowing across Aviation Drive and landing in an area where the fire department had not been doing their training. The most frightening aspect of it was that the fireworks continued for several minutes after the fires had begun to burn, in spite of the fact that a number of people at the airport had run out to try to put out the flames. None of this was visible to the firemen but was observed by the spectators who were up on the hillside adjacent to the airport. People in the crowd had to call the fire department on cell phones to report the fires.
@-;-'---- Rose
7:26 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
Having fireworks under these circumstances was idiotic!! So some had to be disappointed like I have been so many times in my life....like having EVERYTHING cancelled in Manitowoc including our County Fair, during the "polio scare" days.We kids all knew it HAD to be done.
MomOf5
8:41 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
It was the best of both worlds. I'm glad they had the chance to try, and I'm glad they were smart enough to end them early. We still had a good time!
drgneyes
9:33 am on Thursday, July 5, 2012
Momof5: I totally agree even though we pack our family up of 9 kids and 4 adults, it was still fun for us! :) Can't always have everything!
@-;-'---- Rose
4:19 pm on Thursday, July 5, 2012
I still think it's better to be safe than sorry. One little fire or just one little spark could have spread and caused a disaster. Parents of 5 and 9 will never know how things COULD have turned out...fire spreading, crowds of people panicing etc etc What would be wrong with postponing it for better conditions? I escaped a raging house fire with my mother and 3 siblings...a childhood experience that gave me respect for fire.
Bowgo
2:33 pm on Friday, July 6, 2012
I love the fact that we spent tax dollars on fireworks and city services to control any fires that started, when clearly it was unsafe to begin with. I guess there must be unlimited funds for stupidity and unlimited water supply when we are trying to find more sources of water for the city of Waukesha... Great job officials!