The 4th of July, statistically, is one of the heaviest days of the year for wildfire starts. And this year the holiday comes amid heightened risk for major blazes.
Richard Vachula, a professor at Auburn University, has analyzed the relationship between fireworks and wildfire. While perhaps unsurprising, the picture is troubling.
“One of the most predictable peaks of wildfire ignitions occurs each year on the 4th of July, or right around the 4th of July,” he said.
“This is pretty clearly a controllable human behavioral impact on the environment,” he added.
This year, the holiday comes amid an already active fire season, and one that federal forecasters say is likely to be intense for vast swaths of the West through September.
Vachula analyzed how the day on which the holiday falls affects ignitions before and after the 4th. He said, this year, first responders should also expect July 5th – Saturday – to have a high number of starts.
He urged those planning to use fireworks to exercise caution.
“I'm sure nobody that ever ignited a wildfire due to a firework thought they were going to,” he said. “Be careful and be thoughtful about it.”
This story was produced by the Mountain West News Bureau, a collaboration between Wyoming Public Media, Nevada Public Radio, Boise State Public Radio in Idaho, KUNR in Nevada, KUNC in Colorado and KANW in New Mexico, with support from affiliate stations across the region. Funding for the Mountain West News Bureau is provided in part by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting.