Tagged: fireworks

Update: Despite some rain in the forecast for this evening, the City of Austin’s New Year’s Eve event at Auditorium Shores is a go. At least for now.

The city says as long as the skies stick to rain and drizzle and not high winds and thunderstorms… the live music, activities and fireworks will happen.

“Bring your ponchos, bring your umbrellas, bring a lawn chair. But if it’s a little drizzle-y we will hopefully still have an event and still have some fireworks for everybody to enjoy," City of Austin spokesperson Samantha Park says.

If you see, smell or hear fireworks this New Year’s Eve, don’t dial 911. Call 311.

The Austin Fire Department has asked Austin residents to keep the emergency lines free off all firework complaints and to use the city’s 311 service instead.

In light of the ongoing drought, the Fire Department is also reminding citizens that fireworks remain illegal in Austin city limits, and their sale has been banned in Travis County. The fine for possession of fireworks in Austin can be up to $500.

The Austin and Travis County fire departments have responded to dozens of grass and trash fires in the last 24 hours. Crews responded to 29 small grass fires and 11 trash fires.

But, they say, for a hot, dry Fourth of July, there were actually fewer fires than they expected.

Most of the fires are still under investigation but Battalion Chief Thayer Smith says fireworks were likely involved in many.

“When you have 29 grass fires on the 4th of July and on the 3rd of July you only had two, certainly you would expect that the majority of those grass fires are obviously going to be related to fireworks in some form or fashion," said Smith.

Pack Your Picnic: Info on Tonight’s Fireworks Show

Thousands are expected to flock to Auditorium Shores for the Austin Symphony July 4th Concert and Fireworks.

The symphony will start its performance at 8:30 p.m. The fireworks show will run from 9:30 p.m. to 10 p.m.

If you’re planning to attend, leave behind all alcohol, glass and Styrofoam. Smoking is not allowed and neither is grilling – because of the number of people expected to be at Auditorium Shores.

Travis County is under a burn ban but fireworks are still on sale. The county is allowing fireworks but not recommending their use.

Keith Cooper sells fireworks for an “American Fireworks” stand. He thinks the burn ban is keeping some customers away.

“Sales have started off a little slow this year. People are a little leery of fire. But they’ve been fairly well,” said Cooper. “Of course it always picks up during the holiday. The third and the fourth are always our best days.”

Vendors met with the Fire Marshal’s office yesterday and agreed not to sell winged fireworks, rockets and missiles – that’s because they pose the biggest fire risk.

About 45 fireworks stands will be operating in Travis County ahead of the Fourth of July. Travis County Fire Marshal Hershel Lee says the Keetch-Byram Drought Index is currently at 378, and a fireworks ban requires a drought index of 575.

“We anticipate an increased number of calls this year, just because of an increased level of awareness of people because of last year’s wildfire,” Lee told Travis County commissioners this morning. He urged people to follow these safety guidelines if they use fireworks. Better yet, he said, they should just attend one of several public displays that are planned.

“Every year when consumers have fireworks, the number of fires increase in the unincorporated areas,” he said. “That’s generally due to people not using them appropriately.”

The number of places where you can catch Independence Day fireworks in Central Texas is quickly shrinking. Cedar Park is the latest municipality to announce it is canceling its patriotic pyrotechnics display because of dry conditions and the potential for high winds.