Fireworks still on schedule for Lincoln Wednesday night

[July 03, 2012]  Monday afternoon, Lincoln Park District director Marcia Greenslate contacted LDN saying that yes, the fireworks scheduled at the park district on Wednesday evening will still go on.

On Monday evening before the regular meeting of the Lincoln City Council, city fire Chief Mark Miller explained what is being done to protect the area and its citizens from potential fire caused by the fireworks.

Miller said that on Monday afternoon he, Lincoln Rural Fire Protection District Chief Chad Letterle and the maintenance supervisor at the park district had met and looked at the area where the fireworks will be shot off.

Miller said first of all, the area is well mowed with no tall grass nearby. In addition, in the field along the edges of the area, the vegetation is green and appears to be faring well.

Miller said Letterle's department has a plan to help make the immediate area around the firing site more fireproof.

The LRFPD has a product they can mix in their water tank and spray on the grass to add a fire-retardant element to the area and help prevent fires from starting.

Miller said that product will be applied to the firing area immediately before the show begins and should offer some added assurance that all will go well.

In addition to all this, Letterle and Miller paid a visit to the NOAA weather station in Lincoln on Monday and sought advice on what the weather is going to be like. They were told that right now it is expected that winds will be gentle and out of the southwest. Miller said that would play in their favor in preventing any ignition in the area.

During the regular voting session of the council on Monday night, Miller told the council that the city and rural fire departments will both be at the park district on Wednesday night. They feel confident all will go well, but they will also be well prepared if anything should go wrong.

He also noted that he is much more concerned about those who may be planning to set off their own displays at home.

He reminded the public that sparks in dry grass or even a spark that might go into a gutter on a rooftop can start a fire in just a matter of seconds.

He said with the extreme dryness in the area, the public should be well prepared for emergencies. He warned that they should pay close attention to flying sparks and have a garden hose handy to extinguish small fires as quickly as possible.

[By NILA SMITH]