Fireworks

"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.

     It's not what Maroun Faissal expected to do this weekend.      But survival training exercises are part of his job.      "We're don't run calls all twenty-four hours so in our down time we practice," says Maroun Faissal.      And Station 34 has had a lot of down time this Forth of July.      "It's not going to be near as busy as it has been," says David Matthew.      Typically, emergency calls on Independence Day keep crews out all day.      Sunday, boots and trucks are ready with no where to go.      Sedgwick County Fire Departments were expecting a lot of calls this weekend with new fireworks laws and the anticipation of warmer weather but once they saw the forecast any additional crews they were going to bring in were sent home.

The Fourth of July fireworks show at Lawrence Dumont stadium Sunday night has not been cancelled due to rain and will go on as planned. However, the NBC Exhibition Game between the Haysville Heat and Denver Cougars has been cancelled. A movie will be shown instead. The Assistant General Manager for the Wichita Wingnuts says gates to the stadium will open at 6 p.m. and the movie "Cars" will be played on the video board at 6:30 p.m.   After the movie, there will be a parade of flags presented by Alefs Harley Davidson followed by the National Anthem.

The Wichita Wingnuts will still hold their 4th of July Celebration Fireworks tonight.  Gates to Lawrence Dumont Stadium will open at 6pm.  The NBC Exhibition Game between the Haysville Heat and the Denver Cougars has been canceled, however we will show the movie “Cars” on the Video Board beginning at 6:30pm.  Following the movie, there will be a parade of flags presented by Alefs Harley Davidson followed by the National Anthem and concluding with our spectacular 4th of July Fireworks Show.

So, it's the 4th of July weekend and you're ready to blow off some steam, as in fireworks. But you've heard that some of the laws of changed this year, especially in Sedgwick County. What's legal where? Below is the official statement from the county that should help clarify things. Sedgwick County has new laws regarding fireworks usage in the “unincorporated” areas of Sedgwick County. These laws only apply to those residents who live in the unincorporated areas.

Fireworks are believed to have caused a house fire in Wellington Friday night. The fire started around eight o'clock in the 1000 block of S. Washington. Map - Location of Fire Interim Fire Chief Bill Hellard tells The Wellington Daily News that the fire was caused by fireworks. The paper reports the home no longer has a roof and there is significant smoke and fire damage to the rest of the house. No one was hurt in the fire.

Wichita Mayor Carl Brewer, Wichita Fire Chief Blackwell & Sedgwick County Fire Chief Gary Curmode will talk to the media this morning about fireworks safety. Their concern is the increased risk of fires during the upcoming Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Work a week and make several thousand dollars. It's a formula that attracts all sorts of non-profit and youth sports groups. They all run fireworks stands and this year there weren't enough to go around. "We had heard it was a really great fundraiser," said Pastor Joplin Emberson.  That's why seven months ago the Cross Way Church in Derby signed up to operate a fireworks stand for the first time. "Our youth group is in a room that's a little too small for what they need. So we're hoping to raise enough money over this week to tear down some walls and get them some new equipment," he said.

"It's going to be a lot different from the past, I will just tell you that," says Kyle Lindstead. Last year 'One Bad Mother' and '4-Thousand Special' would have been impossible to find in Bel Aire. "The biggest and the best, we offer them now," says Lindstead. Because now fireworks can be sold and shot off inside Bel Aire's city limits. The ban in Sedgwick County is also lifted. "If you see what we have in our tent there's a lot of big things here," says Lindstead.

Fireworks will go on sale in Sedgwick County communities Sunday. And for the first time, those living in unincorporated parts of the county can legally shoot off fireworks. But they'll have to buy them somewhere else, the county isn't allowing sales this year. Sedgwick County Fire Marshall Tim Millspaugh gave an update to the Sedgwick County Commission Wednesday.  He says the fireworks purchased in communities like Wichita are legal to shoot off in the county. He says use common sense when using fireworks in order to stay safe.