It again is upon us the Great Independence Day Celebration, the season with picnics, barbecues and fireworks. We have been very blessed this year with more precipitation and the vegetation still has some green to it, versus the previous years, but the Durant Fire Department still encourages everyone in the community to use caution and have the same common sense as if it were an extreme drought condition. The fire load (grass) this year has doubled due to the fact that we did have rain, which means any misuse of fireworks could result in personal injury or create a much larger grass fire.

A few tips or reminders to help make this 4^th of July a much safer and more memorable holiday. Have a water supply such as water hose or bucket of water available before lighting any fireworks Prepare an area that is level and smooth, away from buildings and tall grass Only use fireworks outdoors Spectators should maintain a safe distance It is always safer to have a designated person to light fireworks (preferable the responsible one) Parents should pay special attention to children using sparklers. Sparklers reach temperatures up to 1200 degrees Fahrenheit. Sparklers can be dangerous, if used improperly. Something to compare it to we bake our cakes for this holiday at 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

The sale of fireworks in the City of Durant will begin Monday, July 2. These Class C Common Fireworks being sold can only be discharged within the city limits on the officially designated Independence Day of the United States of America (July 4^th) between the hours of 5:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. midnight. The discharge of fireworks at any other time by individuals is prohibited.

We at the Durant Fire Department, always want safety first, but do want everyone to enjoy this year’s Independence Day celebrations.