Powder Springs Bans Fireworks

Fourth of July fireworks may be a tradition, but it will bring a hefty fine in one Metro Atlanta town this year. The city council in Powder Springs has passed an emergency ordinance forbidding people from using fireworks there.

It is all because of Georgia's extremely dry conditions and potential problems with fire.

Sparkler-type fireworks have been legal in Georgia for only a short time. They can be found at stores all over the state, but don't try to light one up in Powder Springs. City leaders didn't wait until the Fourth of July to snuff out that kind of celebration.

The ping of bats, the slap of gloves, those sounds are still part of summer in Powder Springs. But the pop and crackle of an Independence Day tradition will not be a part of Bret Barrom's summer -- not unless he wants to pay dearly.

"That's going to change our plans for the Fourth," he said. "We've usually got two or three families, we grill out, we shoot some fireworks in the driveway, and then we call it a night."

The city of Powder Springs is saying good night to backyard fireworks shows. The city has warned people that the combination of fireworks and the brittle, dry surroundings could easily spark trouble. Some believe there will be some who will ignore the new, emergency law.

"You've got some defiant people everywhere -- not just Powder Springs, but everywhere," said resident Edith Page-Gude.

The ban includes more than the traditional fireworks -- it includes some model rockets as well as toy guns which may spark. The ban will last as long as the drought does.