COLLEGE STATION, Texas — We're now just days away from the July 4th holiday but with dry conditions lingering, communities in The Brazos Valley are left to figure out how to celebrate safely.
The summer heat hasn’t gone anywhere in the past few weeks leaving grassy areas dry and prone to being vulnerable to the possibility of burning much easier.
As the Bryan/College Station area prepares to celebrate the red, white, and blue this weekend, fire department officials are still urging the public to take precautions extra seriously, especially with the continued drought.
“You probably see a lot of fires [and burn marks] along Highway 6, that’s just because crews came through there and mowed down that grass. The grass is drying out and then when people are careless with cigarettes or dragging a trailer, they throw sparks out and that grass burns very easily,” said Stuart Marrs of The College Station Fire Department.
With a continued risk of burning dry grass in these hot conditions, Marrs says the fourth of July is the department’s busiest time of the year.
“The fourth of July is one of the busiest days of the year for fire departments across the country," said Marrs. “You see a lot of burns and a lot of accidents related so, the College Station Fire Department wants to encourage everyone to go out to a professional show to watch fireworks.”
For the third year in a row, the Texas A&M RELLIS Campus is having their Fireworks and Drone Show for all to attend and are taking all the safety precautions to keep it fun and safe.
“We have cut all the grass short; we are going to soak it down with water beforehand and there will be firetrucks from A&M Systems there with fire protection equipment and stuff like that just to make sure something doesn’t get out of hand," said Chancellor of Texas A&M, John Sharp.
The Texas A&M Chancellor says with increased precautions, he is ready to give a great show.
“It ought to be quite a show, it should be easily the best show we have ever had in Brazos County," said Sharp.
The College Station Fire Department officials want to remind the public that popping fireworks within city limits is still illegal and can face a fine if they are caught.