Data: U.S. Drought Monitor; Map: Erin Davis/Axios VisualsFirework associations expect a massive boom in backyard fireworks this July 4, a surge that collides with dry conditions and a blistering heatwave that could drastically increase the risk of fires.Why it matters: Climate change is increasing the likelihood and severity of wildfires, and large chunks of the U.S. are under burn bans because of severe drought.What they're saying: "It only takes one small spark landing in dry vegetation under the right conditions to start a fast-moving wildfire," April Newman, a public information officer at Cal Fire, tells Axios.Embers can smolder for over a minute, Newman says, "increasing the potential for ignition even after the visible display has ended."Even if a lawn looks green, the "eye test can be deceiving," Brian Fuchs, a climatologist at the National Drought Mitigation Center, tells Axios. Dig just a few inches into Mid-Atlantic soil, "you hit dryness again."State of play: Local governments navigating the drought created a patchwork of burn bans across the country.Colorado Springs issued a citywide burn ban earlier this week before canceling all fireworks displays — even professional ones — citing "extreme fire danger."Utah Gov. Spencer Cox suspended a state law that prevented local governments from enacting blanket bans, prompting Salt Lake County and others to outlaw fireworks.The other side: Florida has no statewide fireworks ban despite lingering droughts and nine county-level burn bans.State law includes a "fireworks holiday" giving anyone over 18 the right to set them off.By the numbers: The national landscape is dangerously primed for ignition, and tragedy is already playing out.Roughly 50% of the U.S. is currently in a drought, according to Fuchs.On July 1, the National Interagency Fire Center reported 257 new fires, and firefighters are trying to contain 51 large fires nationwide.Three firefighters died combating a major fire in western Colorado on Saturday.The intrigue: July 4 celebrations bring a massive, sudden influx of potential ignition sources.When you combine millions of flying sparks with dry vegetation, humidity and a heatwave, wildfires get the exact catalyst they need to explode, safety and climate experts say.Between the lines: Consumer demand for fireworks to commemorate America's 250th anniversary is at record levels."People look like they're going to be showing their patriotism" Ed Vasel with the National Fireworks Association, tells Axios. "We're thinking things are going to be up maybe as much as 20-25% in some areas this year."Professional pyrotechnicians follow strict distance requirements and work with on-site fire departments, but neighborhood celebrations often lack those safeguards, he says.Worth noting: Conditions for President Trump's record-breaking firework plans are better than they were weeks ago Fuchs says, but drought and sweltering heat still remain.While recent rain has provided some surface-level relief, these showers are not a complete "drought buster," Fuchs says.The bottom line: "There's a lot of angst amongst people who believe that fireworks is a right, and that it is culturally valuable, and that it is something that no one should be able to interfere with," David Barrett, executive director of The Safe Community Project, tells Axios."I appreciate and have empathy for those opinions. I do think at the same time…they recognize that the decisions they make don't affect only themselves for their personal pleasure, but those around them who they might inadvertently injure or kill."Go deeper: Trump's July Fourth event faces dangerous D.C. heat - Axios Washington D.C.
America is the greatest country on earth. That is thankfully still true. But instead of comparing it with other nations, what if we compare it to its […]
As the Supreme Court handed down a landmark ruling on the last day of its term protecting birthright citizenship and invalidating a signature policy of President Donald Trump's administration, Justice Clarence Thomas took a swipe at the majority in his dissent, stunning legal experts with an argument that would have effectively rewritten 14th Amendment protections out of the Constitution for millions of people.But Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson went out of her way in her concurrence with Chief Justice John Roberts' majority opinion to demolish Thomas' argument — and in particular, point out that he was talking out of both sides of his mouth on how to interpret constitutional rights."I write separately to respond to some of the themes in the principal dissent," wrote Jackson. "Despite his longstanding endorsement of a 'colorblind' Constitution, Justice Thomas now surprisingly suggests that the Citizenship Clause was a race-conscious remedial measure, relating only to 'freed slaves such as Dred Scott,' ... and those who shared with them certain characteristics ... It is for this reason, he says, that 'children who were born in the United States but [to parents] not domiciled here' are not entitled to claim birthright citizenship."This, noted Georgia trial lawyer and legal analyst Andrew Fleischman in a post to X, is a "pretty good burn here.""Justice Thomas says that the 14th Amendment does not allow us to treat people differently on the basis of their race to help them (affirmative action, voting rights). But then he says it was also laser-focused on restoring citizenship for black Americans," he wrote. Ultimately, Jackson's concurrence noted, Thomas is wrong on the latter point anyway."That narrow vision of the 14th Amendment bears little relationship to the history of its ratification," she wrote. "Even worse, Justice Thomas's telling elides the entire point of the Second Founding: The Reconstruction Amendments were an anticaste, antisubordination reset for the Nation, not a mere spot treatment for the dark stain of slavery."The majority opinion by Roberts agrees with this assessment, noted Slate's Mark Joseph Stern, detailing the history that proves Congress in the 1860s understood and affirmed birthright citizenship would apply to the children of immigrants.
Views and opinions expressed are solely those of the author. Monday at the Supreme Court was a mixed bag for President Donald J. Trump, who got another […]
