Author Topic: fireworks laws (Read 1277 times)

beet1e · « **Reply #60 on:** July 04, 2005, 11:53:51 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by eskimo2
You have to go back 20 years to find a 600 acre fire?

In Alaska alone last year 5,000,000 acres burned. Alaska did not dominate the US fire stories last year either.
Like I said, no comparison.

eskimo

At least I didn't have to go back to the days of the Heinkel-111 for my example!

No comparison between Alaska and Britain. Alaska is 570,000+ square miles, Britain is less than 95,000. Yet Britain's population is around 58m, so the population density here is about 1000 times as high, with the potential for many more fireworks per square mile to be let off!

How much of the 5m acres that got burned in Alaska was caused by fireworks? Not too much is my guess, as the population of Alaska is only about 550,000. And that's probably why there are NO fireworks restrictions in Alaska, according to the website linked by Mr. Toad.

One of the factors with regard to those fires that get out of control is the ability of the fire services to get to them. Britain is quite small, so there aren't any really remote areas, which means that the fire services can get to fires quickly, before they get out of control. There's likely to be a ready supply of water nearby. But in remote areas of the US like the Cascades, I don't suppose there are any fire hydrants, some areas are inaccessible by road, and the fire services might have to travel many miles to get there.

eskimo2 · « **Reply #61 on:** July 04, 2005, 12:19:11 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by beet1e
At least I didn't have to go back to the days of the Heinkel-111 for my example!

No comparison between Alaska and Britain. Alaska is 570,000+ square miles, Britain is less than 95,000. Yet Britain's population is around 58m, so the population density here is about 1000 times as high, with the potential for many more fireworks per square mile to be let off!

How much of the 5m acres that got burned in Alaska was caused by fireworks? Not too much is my guess, as the population of Alaska is only about 550,000. And that's probably why there are NO fireworks restrictions in Alaska, according to the website linked by Mr. Toad.

One of the factors with regard to those fires that get out of control is the ability of the fire services to get to them. Britain is quite small, so there aren't any really remote areas, which means that the fire services can get to fires quickly, before they get out of control. There's likely to be a ready supply of water nearby. But in remote areas of the US like the Cascades, I don't suppose there are any fire hydrants, some areas are inaccessible by road, and the fire services might have to travel many miles to get there.

OK, fine. Chop Alaska into 6 parts, each the size of Britain. Last year each of those parts had 830,000 acres burn. We have to go back to1984 in Britain to find a 600 acre fire.

In the short time that I spent as a firefighter in Alaska, I fought dozens of wildland fires. The largest fire I fought was 60,000 acres in a wildland-urban interface area and it took 400 structures.

Total Number of Wildland Fires and Acres from
January 1 to by State

State   Fires   Acres
AK   547   2,267,380
AL   3,005   39,221
AR   1,331   14,405
AZ   2,860   650,466
CA   7,622   491,333
CO   3,072   915,291
CT   101   184
DE   30   1,659
FL   2,495   50,304
GA   7,179   159,951
HI   1   3,660
IA   5   1,045
ID   1,483   84,854
IL   27   94
IN   578   1,684
KS   24   2,659
KY   1,005   25,092
LA   1,120   22,566
MA   3,018   2,611
MD   726   4,825
ME   662   784
MI   277   966
MN   2,013   62,935
MO   89   3,096
MS   1,006   16,601
MT   1,412   111,819
NC   5,417   34,320
ND   811   58,686
NE   45   427
NH   424   168
NJ   1,760   6,053
NM   1,822   325,458
NV   734   85,099
NY   336   2,044
OH   577   3,969
OK   1,006   29,161
OR   2,631   1,010,844
PA   529   1,961
PR   2   4
RI   128   213
SC   3,567   30,943
SD   639   30,679
TN   1,469   14,993
TX   1,104   29,403
UT   1,226   265,337
VA   1,699   23,294
VT   128   214
WA   1,281   88,863
WI   800   1,611
WV   814   8,681
WY   523   124,823

Grand Totals   71,160   7,112,733

Toad · « **Reply #62 on:** July 04, 2005, 12:25:20 PM »

Alaska's lack of restrictions is probably related to their view of themselves as the "last frontier".

They're just not the kind of folks that go in for a lot or rules, laws and nannying.

beet1e · « **Reply #63 on:** July 04, 2005, 12:25:45 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by eskimo2
We have to go back to1984 in Britain to find a 600 acre fire.

No, that was the first link I found, and relates only to one particular forest.

But point taken! As I type this, the temperature outside is about 12° and it's pissing down with rain - happy July 4!

eskimo2 · « **Reply #64 on:** July 04, 2005, 12:40:46 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Toad
Alaska's lack of restrictions is probably related to their view of themselves as the "last frontier".

They're just not the kind of folks that go in for a lot or rules, laws and nannying.

True, all states are different and Alaska leans toward the free end. At least twice, however, in the past decade fireworks have been banned statewide in Alaska due to fire dander.

eskimo

beet1e · « **Reply #65 on:** July 04, 2005, 01:41:03 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Toad
Alaska's lack of restrictions is probably related to their view of themselves as the "last frontier".

They're just not the kind of folks that go in for a lot or rules, laws and nannying.

Indeed. And there would be little point. If 5,000,000 acres are being burned in AK, and there's only an average ~one person per square mile or 640 acres in the state, then clearly the forest burning has got bugger all to do with fireworks.

And with regard to fireworks, we don't have a lot of nannying here. But just wait - I'm sure that Nanny Blair will get around to it.

Jackal - bottle rockets in pairs? We never bothered with "bottle" rockets. Why bother, when we can buy the ones that stand 5ft high in the launch pad (upturned incinerator with holes in the bottom)?

cpxxx · « **Reply #66 on:** July 04, 2005, 03:40:52 PM »

Fireworks have been banned here for years. So of course every Halloween which is when we traditionally use fireworks. The place lights up like..........well the fourth of July. Literally non stop for the entire night. All the bangs and blasts merging in one continuous roar.

Naturally being completely banned it produces a thriving business in smuggling and of course it's mostly children who have fireworks and they always demonstrate their usual maturity in using them. Adults rarely control fireworks. Not one of the most successful laws ever enacted. I could never buy fireworks as I tend to look like an off duty cop and they scatter when I approach. (It's the same with drug dealers

)

Bonfires are also completely banned so of course in the midst of all the noise. The sky lights up with the glow of innumerable bonfires, usually organised and built literally in hours by groups of boys average age twelve.

Banning fireworks is one of those laws that never really work.

Happy fourth of July.

nirvana · « **Reply #67 on:** July 05, 2005, 12:50:59 AM »

The ones that don't explode or leave the ground are extremely dangerous. My point, the little pick one that spin and "bloom" into several colours. They more often then not spin out of control. Any other reason then noise pollution in banning firecrackers or lady fingers is purely a cover. M-80's contain about 4 times as much powder as a standard black cat firecracker which makes for a much stronger explosion. My friend has had the firecrackers explode in his hand on several occasions. A slight numbness is all that follows his stupidity. Then again you have the fragile children.

Azul32 · « **Reply #68 on:** July 05, 2005, 05:05:36 AM »

Well i live in Az as you guys might know its dry as he!! here. As long as I can remember no kind of fireworks are allowed.
but i live in a somewhat of large city(Tucson) every year they have a fireworks display at a nearby mtn.
Every year me and my buddys have a running bet if they gonna burn down the mtn or not. It almost never fails that they burn the damn thing down.

BTW if anyone willing to ship me some that would be cool I hate having to drive 150 miles just to get some bottle rockets:D

P.S. I didnt go and watch them this year due to fact i'm just getting to old to party anymore, so have no idea if they burnt it down or not....details to follow tommorrow

nirvana · « **Reply #69 on:** July 05, 2005, 06:33:19 AM »

Make it a state law. Period. Fireworks or none, none of these cities micromanaging what the state doesn't want to. The government may do the micromanaging stuff but i think fireworks should be a statewide issue.

Skydancer · « **Reply #70 on:** July 05, 2005, 07:17:36 AM »

Fireworks...

Big organised displays great!

The rest? Do my head in. From about September right through to december it sounds like a war zone in Birmingham. We have em going off every night. Usualy kids getting hold of them. They are sold becausewe have Guy Fawkes night, Divali, Chinese new year etc etc. The biggest headache is my poor hound who goes bloody mental for the whole 4 months. I used to love em but as I approach grumpy old manhood I'm begining to hate the bloody things.

lazs2 · « **Reply #71 on:** July 05, 2005, 08:52:25 AM »

LooK at it this way when you are tempted to play with fireworks?

Would your mom aprove? would it displease a woman somewhere? Is it possible for someone to get hurt or "feel less than" if you use them?

using a sparker makes you look like the torch bearer for the gay olympics.

If fireworks frieghten you.... don't buy any.

lazs

Jackal1 · « **Reply #72 on:** July 05, 2005, 09:10:02 AM »

I`ve paid good money to go to displays before. Usualy took an hour or so to get in . Had to walk forever and the humidity felt like a wet blanket that had just had a kettle of hot water dumped on it. Never again.
Don`t have to since I moved to the lake.
This makes the third year we have went to the boat ramp about a 1/4 mile from my house. Best fireworks show ever.
People fill up the boat ramp spaces. The lot next to it, the lot across the highway and down both sides of the road.
The highlight last night was when some enterprising young man ,with superior aim, plastered the windshield of the county squad car that was sitting at the entrance to a store across the road while watching the activity. The deputy stepped out and did the "I`m not worthy" wave. Cracked everyone up and everyone had a great time.

beet1e · « **Reply #73 on:** July 05, 2005, 10:29:45 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Jackal1
we have went

What tense is THAT???

Skydancer - I agree with you. The fireworks thing has become a whole season, with those annoying rockets that launch and then make a pathetic pop.

Hmmm, it's been a few years since we had one of those big parties - I'll suggest it for this year. Much more fun when you can light your own.

JB73 · « **Reply #74 on:** July 05, 2005, 02:54:00 PM »

i can tell you this about fireworks in WI....

they are legal to sell most kinds, legal to own, but not legal to set off... mostly

anything that moves on it's own, like say a bottle rocket, whitch wistle, whatever, anything that explodes, and anything that shoots over a set distance (i think like 1 foot) is illegal to fire off.

you can use "snakes" and teensy fountian cones, and sparklers IIRC. but no sparklers on public ground like public parks. i guess the wires left laying on the ground poke into kiddies feet.