Speculation on fireworks patrols

[230RN]

I do believe they may be using helicopters to patrol for fireworks hereabouts.  No traffic problems, but there seems to have been a lot of them chop-chop-chopping around towards sunset the last couple of days.

Evidentiary anecdote:  Saturday night there was someone reasonably close setting off bunches of stuff including big aerial salutes and stars.  I heard a chopper and rather suddenly the fireworks stopped.  Causation?

Anyhow, a couple of days ago I commented on how I thought that a lot of city dwellers don't realize what the real fire danger was since they could just flip butts onto concrete and asphalt and do other fire-dangerous activities.  Whereas, out here in the relative boonies, there's lots of inflammables lying (not laying) on the ground just about everywhere.

Hah!  Well last night there was a special news report on wildfires and this very subject was brought up, except they included "out of staters" as another category of folks who just could not imagine how dangerous fire-careless behavior was.

At one point I saw where some park authorities had affixed flat plates over the barbecue grills in the park which warned that there was a complete fire ban.

So while some might think using choppers to patrol for such "trivial" matters as mere fireworks, on the other hand, you probably haven't seen a nice dry pine tree go up.

Hey, I used to love setting off my own fireworks, but not for a long time --only partially due to disabilities --but especially not in today's (Colorado) fire conditions.

Probably in your state, too.

And it's a $1000 fine here.

Terry, 230RN

[Jim147]

We got a nice rain last weekend so we will be blowing the world up tomorrow with no worries.

[French G.]

Wetter here, but last year it was pouring rain, so out comes the flare gun. :D

The helo should just roam around with a fire bucket already on and full. Instant karma.

[MechAg94]

It was raining dang near all day down here.  Finally cleared up late in the day. Then the sun came out early on the 5th and we had a nice sauna morning.  Fun shooting yesterday morning, but hot and humid.

[Mannlicher]

Now if the cops would just equip those choppers with a mini gun, they could stamp out those pesky fireworks slobs forever.  For their own good, of course.   😜

[Angel Eyes]

Now if the cops would just equip those choppers with a mini gun, they could stamp out those pesky fireworks slobs forever.  For their own good, of course.   😜

Fight fire(works) with fire(works).  Don't forget to record the whole thing for YouTube.

[MechAg94]

Fight fire(works) with fire(works).  Don't forget to record the whole thing for YouTube.

And of course, they have to tracer ammo.

[230RN]

And of course, they have to [use] tracer ammo.

<grin>  We had a fire start Thur-Fri, whenever, supposedly from some folks on an official Park range firing tracer ammo. So big outrage, where even our Governor got all angry about it, and that's all you heard on the news, since it was firearms-related.  Not that I'm excusing the activity, but holy cow.

AFAIK tracer is legal to own here in Colorado, but not to shoot.  Someone update me on that.

Hm.  12:30 AM Saturday morning 07 July, and I'm hearing "pops" out east of here.  Oh, there's a "boom."  Pops are ongoing.

From what I hear on the news, Independence Day is the busiest police day of the year because of all the fireworks calls, but because of the paperwork involved, all the responding officers do is just seize the fireworks and don't actually write citations.  There were scenes of people (cops in mufti?) loading a truck with contraband fireworks.

I have no idea how they dispose of it.

Terry

Edited to correct phrasing.

[Hawkmoon]

I have no idea how they dispose of it.

Sell it next year?

[230RN]

^Yeah, heh.   All the ways I can think of, like leaching out the solubles with fire hoses, involve other hazards, like EPA violations involving both the solubles and insolubles.

And of course somebody's bound to suggest burning it... hahahaha.

Of course, they could take small portions of the total hoard, leave them on the doorsteps of various Fire Houses, run away laughing like hell, and let the Firemen worry about it.

'Tis a puzzlement.

Terry

[grislyatoms]

Soaked my roof with the garden hose then went to my neighbor-across-the-street's house for some BBQ, beer, and a splash of Makers Mark. Several neighborhood patrols went by. Great neighborhood!

[grislyatoms]

One neighborhood over, to the East, one home burned to the ground due to fireworks. Total loss. Folks ok, dog was killed.