Dry weather could spoil Fourth of July plans as burn bans go into effect in North Texas
NORTH TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) — The dry weather could spoil some of your Fourth of July plans. The lack of rain has led to severe drought conditions, and disaster declarations have caused fireworks to be banned in Parker, Johnson, Navarro and Palo Pinto counties.
You can still buy them at local stands but the penalty of shooting them in restricted areas ranges from $500 to $1,000.
Devin Fansler will not be popping fireworks on Independence Day.
"I would hate to say that we wanted to go out and pop some fireworks and I killed my neighbor by accident because I've burned their house down," Devin Fansler said. "It wouldn't be worth it for me."
Jonathan Henderson says dry weather is something he takes seriously.
"I've known a lot of people that's lost their homes with fires, so I think it's really important to mitigate that," Henderson said.
Both men say while not popping fireworks is a bummer, it's worth it if it means everyone remains safe.
"It's fun to look at and its cool and all that but it's not worth a life," Fansler said.
The Texas A&M Forest Service is reporting about 75% of the state is currently under a burn ban but fireworks are still allowed in unincorporated areas