Cities work to save fireworks shows

LAWRENCE, Ind. (WISH) - Despite a number of emergency declarations banning residents from setting off fireworks, some central Indiana cities still plan to put on their annual fireworks shows.

In Lawrence, the city’s Fourth Fest is under way. Wednesday’s fireworks show will take place over the soccer fields at Community Park. The city is bringing in extra water, extra fire crews and extra help to ensure it goes off with a bang, not a fire.

"This will be down to a last-minute decision. Everything will have to be perfect," said Lawrence Fire Chief Mike DeLong. "We’ve had some heavy winds come through the last three or four days. If we have something like that, there is absolutely no way that we can do that."

For the past several days the city's Parks Department has been watering the soccer fields to lessen, and hopefully eliminate, the potential for a grass fire. The Fire Department will have extra crews on hand for the show.

"We have added an extra fire engine, an extra tanker, which we’ve never do, and an extra medic truck," said DeLong.

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Wednesday, the Fire Department will monitor the weather from a command post. Bad - or even sketchy - weather could postpone or even cancel the event.

Westfield also plans to go ahead with its fireworks show on the Fourth. The city had canceled the show due to the dry conditions. However, because of the weekend rains and higher humidity levels, the city said Monday that it can now manage the fire risk.

“We will have firefighters stationed around the location here the night of the blast. We will be at the ready for any type of spot fires that come about. The pyrotechnic professionals will have their fire suppression teams as well," said Westfield spokesperson Todd Burtron.

Both Lawrence and Westfield said weather conditions at the time of the shows will be the final determining factor when it comes to setting off the fireworks.