Antioch, Mundelein latest to cancel Fourth of July fireworks
July 3, 2012 9:42AM
Fireworks light the sky above the grounds of the Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy at a previous Fourth of July celebration in Aurora.| Sun-Times Media File
Fireworks safety
The National Council on Fireworks Safety offered these tips for enjoying fireworks displays.
◆ Keep fireworks away from children.
◆ Stay at least 500 feet away from professional fireworks displays.
◆ Never try to relight “dud” fireworks.
◆ Don’t drink while shooting off fireworks.
Updated: August 5, 2012 6:20AM
How hot and dry is it?
So hot and dry that some suburbs are snuffing out their Fourth of July fireworks shows over concerns about potential fire hazards.
The dramatic storms that roared through portions of the Chicago area over the weekend weren’t enough to offset weeks of arid conditions for a handful of suburban officials.
North suburban Mundelein on Tuesday became the latest suburb to cancel its Independence Day pyrotechnics display. Officials cited the extremely dry weather conditions and the potential for high winds.
“The Village of Mundelein fireworks display is very close to a heavily populated and wooded residential subdivision which greatly increased the concerns for public safety. The risk of fire from falling cinders was a serious concern,” the officials said.
Antioch officials cancelled their Wednesday night show on Monday.
Last week, officials in Wauconda, Plainfield and the Round Lake Area Park District pulled the plug on their shows.
The village of Wheaton on Monday canceled its fireworks show scheduled for Tuesday night, but not because of the dry weather. Instead, officials cited safety concerns from lingering power outages and other hazards left over from strong thunderstorms Sunday in the area.
For many suburbs, though, the show must go on. For a rundown of fireworks displays across the Chicago area visit suntimes.com.
In Aurora, firefighters even spent time Tuesday watering the grass in Randall Park, where the fireworks will be shot off for the Aurora-North Aurora show Wednesday night.
And while budgetary restrictions and schedule changes have meant no Taste of Chicago fireworks extravaganza for the past couple years, Chicago will still have a downtown display.
The show will kick off at 9 p.m. off Navy Pier, which will be open from 10 a.m. to midnight Wednesday. As part of the festivities, active members of the U.S. military will receive a free ride on the Navy Pier’s Ferris wheel.
Matt McKinney and Sun-Times Media
