Fireworks, Dunes and Dry Weather Don’t Mix
Fireworks, Dunes and Dry Weather Don’t Mix
6/24/08
Contact: Laura Probyn
517-432-1555, ext. 171
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Summer fireworks and dry weather are a dangerous combination for all residents, but those who live along a sandy shoreline should take special care when celebrating the Independence Day holiday with sparklers and firecrackers.
“Every year we have problems with wildfires when fireworks set nearby vegetation on fire,” says Mark Hansen, Michigan State University Extension wildfire specialist. “It doesn’t take much more than a spark when the grass and leaves are dry.”
Wildfires due to fireworks and campfires are common along the Great Lakes shoreline. In 2005, fireworks near Grand Haven started a wildfire that damaged two homes. In 2006, an accidental low burst of festival fireworks ignited dune vegetation in Grand Haven.
In 2007, three homes were lost and other homes were damaged in a major wildfire near Saugatuck caused by fireworks, and grass at a marina near Muskegon was ignited but suppressed before the fire could get out of hand. Other wildfires occurred across the state when fireworks started vegetation on fire, including dry lawns.
“People need to be aware that, when fine fuels such as grass and leaves are present, the heat and sparks from fireworks can easily start a fire,” says Cal Haverdink, chief of the Graafschap Fire Department near Saugatuck.
Haverdink’s department was involved in putting out the Saugatuck wildfire.
“People don’t think this will happen to them, but it will if they are not careful,” he says.
Hansen says more than 8,000 wildfires occur in Michigan every year, most caused by human behavior. Campfires, exhaust from ATVs, smoking, equipment fires, arson and trains can all cause vegetation to catch fire. The most common cause of wildfires in Michigan is people burning debris, whether in an open burn pile or a burn barrel.
Both Hansen and Haverdink encourage Michigan residents and visitors to be careful this year with fireworks and campfires. Avoid using fireworks near dry leaves, vegetation and dune grass. Fireworks that explode or leave the ground are illegal in Michigan and are also prone to igniting vegetation.
When building a campfire, use a fire ring and make sure that there is no nearby vegetation that could be ignited by fire brands (floating embers). A portable or stationary fire pit with a screen over the top will help keep fire brands from escaping. Keep the fire small and manageable. A larger, hotter fire can create more firebrands and send them farther downwind to start vegetation on fire. When finished, douse the fire and embers with water until the fire is out and embers are no longer glowing. Covering a campfire with sand is not sufficient -- coals can continue to glow and rekindle if wind uncovers the fire.
For more information on preventing wildfires and protecting your home and property, go to www.firewise.msu.edu, or contact your area Michigan Department of Natural Resources office or your county MSU Extension office.
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