4 ms·

It is pretty easy to determine a link. https://katu.com/news/local/fireworks-blamed-for-six-wildfires-in-southwest-washington-over-fourth-of-july-weekend https

It is pretty easy to determine a link. https://katu.com/news/local/fireworks-blamed-for-six-wildfires-in-southwest-washington-over-fourth-of-july-weekend https://katu.com/news/local/fireworks-blamed-for-six-wildfir... We legally light stuff on fire and launch it in the air, that will absolutely result in additional fires. These fires were contained, so the bigger wildfires are just continuing to do their thing. These probably distract from larger firefighting efforts, though.

Zetice 3y ago
It’s not really accurate to say we “light stuff on fire” considering how fireworks function. Not much in a firework is actually all that hot post explosion, for example.
- solardev 3y ago
  Can you explain? Are you saying something about the chemistry or mechanics of fireworks makes them unable or unlikely to start wildfires, vs say a smoldering campfire or lightning or whatever?
  - Zetice 3y ago
    Yeah, basically. Their main goal is to emit their energy via light, not heat, and while if you fire one right into a dense, dry forest it won’t go well, their standard use has their explosion occur in the open air, after which the remains are generally pretty cool.
    - solardev 3y ago
      Don't the "embers" (if that's even the right word/phenomenon) remain fiery though? The last show I went to, about half the explosions started small ground fires that staff had to manually put out every few minutes.
      - msrenee 3y ago
        They stay hot, but not so much fiery generally. You're talking about a professional fireworks show as well, which are going to be bigger and presumably hotter. Lighting off artillery shells last night, by the time the debris fluttered down, it was cool to the touch. The tubes on the ground are a different story though. Shoot, the debris from the one the neighbors so kindly dropped in the tube upside down when I was 30 feet away didn't burn me. Wasn't happy about it, but wasn't even singed. Were they lighting the fireworks directly on a dry field? How far from the tubes were these fires starting?
        solardev 3y ago
        I'm not sure whether it's the embers or tubes causing the fires. But here's a story about them... happens every year: https://ktvz.com/news/fire/2023/07/04/bends-bigger-pilot-butte-fourth-fireworks-show-also-sparks-spot-fires-on-the-slopes/ https://ktvz.com/news/fire/2023/07/04/bends-bigger-pilot-but... Edit: video said it was the falling fireworks that started the fires. It took two months of planning, several hundred feet of hoses, and a few engines and many firefighters pre parked there to contain it
solardev 3y ago
I'd be for a national fireworks ban, personally, especially during the summer wildfire seasons. But it wouldn't be fair to attribute the poor air quality today specifically to fireworks unless evidence links them. The last 4th of July show I watched had designated people on the ground stamping out fires as they started. It seemed ridiculous to me for the city to still do them in such a dry area, but at least each little fire was put out within seconds. It was wild seeing the explosions happen, then tiny people running around and putting them out, occasionally with the help of a firetruck. In the end it worked out pretty well and none of the fires spread or lasted past the fireworks show. But still kinda unreal to witness...
rampant_ai 3y ago
A lot of it too is the fireworks themselves. Turns out having millions of people lighting them almost constantly for several hours in an area that had little wind all night and is surrounded by mountains affects the air quality. Rancho Cucamonga is over 300 AQI (hazardous) this morning. https://www.ocregister.com/2023/07/04/officials-warn-of-poor-air-quality-from-july-4-fireworks-in-inland-empire-san-gabriel-valley-and-surrounding-areas/ https://www.ocregister.com/2023/07/04/officials-warn-of-poor...

Zetice 3y ago

It’s not really accurate to say we “light stuff on fire” considering how fireworks function. Not much in a firework is actually all that hot post explosion, for example.

solardev 3y ago
Can you explain? Are you saying something about the chemistry or mechanics of fireworks makes them unable or unlikely to start wildfires, vs say a smoldering campfire or lightning or whatever?
- Zetice 3y ago
  Yeah, basically. Their main goal is to emit their energy via light, not heat, and while if you fire one right into a dense, dry forest it won’t go well, their standard use has their explosion occur in the open air, after which the remains are generally pretty cool.
  - solardev 3y ago
    Don't the "embers" (if that's even the right word/phenomenon) remain fiery though? The last show I went to, about half the explosions started small ground fires that staff had to manually put out every few minutes.
    - msrenee 3y ago
      They stay hot, but not so much fiery generally. You're talking about a professional fireworks show as well, which are going to be bigger and presumably hotter. Lighting off artillery shells last night, by the time the debris fluttered down, it was cool to the touch. The tubes on the ground are a different story though. Shoot, the debris from the one the neighbors so kindly dropped in the tube upside down when I was 30 feet away didn't burn me. Wasn't happy about it, but wasn't even singed. Were they lighting the fireworks directly on a dry field? How far from the tubes were these fires starting?
      - solardev 3y ago
        I'm not sure whether it's the embers or tubes causing the fires. But here's a story about them... happens every year: https://ktvz.com/news/fire/2023/07/04/bends-bigger-pilot-butte-fourth-fireworks-show-also-sparks-spot-fires-on-the-slopes/ https://ktvz.com/news/fire/2023/07/04/bends-bigger-pilot-but... Edit: video said it was the falling fireworks that started the fires. It took two months of planning, several hundred feet of hoses, and a few engines and many firefighters pre parked there to contain it

solardev 3y ago

I'd be for a national fireworks ban, personally, especially during the summer wildfire seasons. But it wouldn't be fair to attribute the poor air quality today specifically to fireworks unless evidence links them. The last 4th of July show I watched had designated people on the ground stamping out fires as they started. It seemed ridiculous to me for the city to still do them in such a dry area, but at least each little fire was put out within seconds. It was wild seeing the explosions happen, then tiny people running around and putting them out, occasionally with the help of a firetruck. In the end it worked out pretty well and none of the fires spread or lasted past the fireworks show. But still kinda unreal to witness...

rampant_ai 3y ago

A lot of it too is the fireworks themselves. Turns out having millions of people lighting them almost constantly for several hours in an area that had little wind all night and is surrounded by mountains affects the air quality. Rancho Cucamonga is over 300 AQI (hazardous) this morning. https://www.ocregister.com/2023/07/04/officials-warn-of-poor-air-quality-from-july-4-fireworks-in-inland-empire-san-gabriel-valley-and-surrounding-areas/ https://www.ocregister.com/2023/07/04/officials-warn-of-poor...