Fire officials urge caution with grills, fireworks on July 4th

OAK CREEK -- Fire departments throughout southeast Wisconsin are urging people to use common sense when it comes to grilling out and using fireworks during Fourth of July holiday celebrations.

Next to a landscape of dried-out, crunchy, brown grass, the soccer field at East Middle School in Oak Creek showed some signs of life Wednesday, but not for the big game. Fire crews watered down the launch site for the fireworks display.

"The land where the fireworks will be set off tonight, we've worked to make sure the area has been soaked down. We put some water in the area," Battalion Chief Mike Kressuk of the Oak Creek Fire Department said.

Rose Michaels and Joe Tabat with the American Legion said they can't picture the Fourth of July without the big fireworks show at the end.

"I'm very happy that Oak Creek decided to go with the fireworks," they said.

Chief Kressuk says with some green grass, the spot is safe for fireworks. That's good news because several communities in southeast Wisconsin cancelled their fireworks displays because of the dry conditions.

However, fireworks aren't the only concern for firefighters. They want grill users to be especially careful, saying grills could easily spark a fire with the grass so dry. Officials ask that people stay by their grill and use common sense.

"It is a little bit windy and extremely dry, and a little bit gets away from you and it has a path to go, it is going to go quite aways," Kressuk said.

Tasha Bowers spent the day with her family in Brown Deer Park for a picnic.

"Not as many coals, not as big of a fire, just taking our time," Bowers said.

Bowers said her family wasn't going to let the extreme heat and dry weather ruin their Fourth of July fun.

"All the way to the fireworks! We're hanging in there," Bowers said.

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