Fireworks

FIREWORK SHOWS FOR THE 4TH OF JULY WEEKEND June 30th to July 4th  Make this 4th of July weekend special by attending one of the many firework shows in Wichita and surrounding areas. Events for this year’s Independence Day include music, food, games, competitions, parades, swimming, and of course, fireworks! Make sure to check the dates for each event. This year’s 4th of July falls on a Monday, but there are some firework shows taking place on Saturday and/or Sunday.

Facing extreme heat and continued drought, Dodge City says no to fireworks this Fourth of July. City Commissioners in Dodge City held a special meeting Tuesday afternoon to discuss fireworks this Fourth. Previously the city issued a waiver allowing fireworks July 2, 3 and 4. Today, commissioners voted to rescind that waiver, citing concerns over the severe drought. A public fireworks display scheduled for July 4 will be postponed until a future date. Other events planned at the Boot Hill Museum will continue as scheduled.

Fireworks could be to blame for a wheat field fire in northern Sedgwick County Monday afternoon. The fire started in the 13000 block of East 69th St. North. Fire crews say they found evidence of fireworks close to the field. An arson investigator is looking into whether fireworks were the cause. "We have witnesses who said they saw people lighting fireworks in this area but none that saw the fire start," explains Division Chief Eddie Fajardo. The landowner says he's lucky he has already harvested his wheat, but relies on the stubble to retain moisture and keep the field from eroding.

Fireworks go on sale in Wichita on Monday, and fire officials give residents the yearly warning to shoot them where you buy them. The Wichita Fire Department says hot and dry weather conditions expected around this 4th of July can lead to a risk of grass and structure fires. They want residents to make sure they follow some important safety tips. Supervise children using fireworks and make sure they are age appropriate. Keep fireworks away from grassy areas or buildings.

A Fourth of July tradition won't happen this year in Garden City and Finney County. While the city and county usually issue a waiver allowing fireworks between July 3rd and July 5th, the Garden City Police Department says that won't happen this year. Because of extreme drought conditions and the danger of grass fires, Garden City Police say fireworks will be banned this year. The police department says officers will be out enforcing the ban and anybody caught shooting off fireworks can face a $120 fine.

The Salina Fire Department spent Friday doing a job they had not performed in over 40 years. Site to Site fire officials teamed with city planning staff as they inspected all six of the fireworks stands set up in the city limits. Earlier this year, the Salina city commission voted to legalize fireworks in the city, this breaks the 46-year ban which previously stood in place. The inspection process put on by the fire and city officials was nothing short of detailed. In fact, they came prepared with a checklist of all the requirements that needed to be met before the firework stand could open.

Organizers at the Wichita River Festival put on the final touches Friday morning, in preparation for the party's 40th year by the Arkansas River. They checked the booths at the Food Court, which has now moved to west of Century II, they made sure the ticket booths were up and ready and tested the sound equipment. Things officially got underway the same way they do every year, with the Sundown Parade and Admiral Windwagon Smith XXXVIII leading the way. This year, Dr. Jay Decker and the Wichita Symphony Orchestra performed on opening night at the Koch Twilight Pops Concert.

For the first time in more than 40 years fireworks are now legal inside the city limits of Salina. City commissioners passed the motion early Wednesday morning by a 3-2 vote. 1965 was the last time fireworks were legal inside the city limits, some commissioners were not in favor of changing. Salina mayor Aaron Peck was one of the members that expressed concern about the public’s safety when came to the use of fireworks, he voted no on the motion. City commissioner Tom Arpke was the person that started the movement to legalize the fireworks in the city of Salina.

El Dorado police and medical emergency crews responded to the call of a fireworks accident around seven o'clock Tuesday evening. Eyewitnesses at the Union Tank Car Company say several employees built and detonated a device that was made from a metal pipe filled with sparklers. When the pipe bomb exploded, it sent shrapnel across the building. Coby Hinez, 26, of Louisiana, was hurt in the accident. He was taken to Wesley Medical Center via helicopter. Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents were notified about the accident and will investigate.

"The rain played some interesting tricks on us yesterday," says Kyle Lindsted. Trickier still, the wet gravel and puddles Kyle Lindsted and his crew have to work around Monday as they pack up. Fortunately, the number of boxes is few. "We worked up a sweat on the register last night, we had so many people here at certain points," says Lindsted. Kyle tells us when the rain stopped the tent was full but when there was a downpour the tent was empty again and he suspects when it was raining they lost about a thousand dollars an hour in sales.