COLUMBUS, Ind. — With Bartholomew County currently experiencing abnormally dry weather conditions, local officials are urging extra caution for those planning to celebrate Independence Day with fireworks.
The Columbus Fire Department and Bartholomew County Emergency Management are currently monitoring the weather conditions to ensure that it safe for city residents to light fireworks during the Fourth of July holiday, said CFD spokesman Capt. Mike Wilson.
For now, consumer fireworks will be allowed to be set off in Columbus starting Thursday at 5 p.m.
“We’re going to continue to monitor that with (emergency management) in case there happens to be significantly drier conditions that we get here within the next few days,” Wilson said. “At that point, if we needed to, we could put some type of ban in place. …But hopefully we won’t have to do that.”
Despite the recent rain, Columbus and the surrounding area have received considerably less precipitation than normal over the past couple months, according to the National Weather Service.
So far this month, precipitation is 3.31 inches below normal, records show, while rainfall in May was an additional 3.22 inches below normal.
The latest U.S. Drought Monitor listed weather conditions in Bartholomew County as “abnormally dry.” Just over half Indiana is experiencing some level of drought.
For the complete story, see Wednesday’s Republic.
