City of Tyler urges residents to not use illegal fireworks due to leftover storm debris

TYLER, Texas ( KETK ) — As people in Tyler continue to take leftover storm debris to the Greenwood Farms Landfill, there’s still plenty laying around that could potentially serve as fuel for fires now that temperatures are high and fireworks are imminent.

“Some of this debris that we’ve had from the storms, it can catch fire and go unnoticed,” Tyler Fire Marshal Joey Hooten said.

That’s why the city is urging people who do not have a permit inside city limits to refrain from setting off fireworks during Independence Day.

Hooten said the problem is the dryness of the debris, which could cause issues.

“We still have a lot of stuff left on the ground and one spark that gets in this debris, it could cause a major problem,” Hooten added.

He said he knows that the city can only do so much to control illegal fireworks.

“We can’t catch everybody,” Hooten said. ”We just try to deter it as much as we possibly can.”

He said for the most part, people follow the rules in place because they’re there for a reason.

“Normally, everybody adheres to the rules and we don’t have issues,” Hooten said.

If you want to see fireworks in a safe environment that are being set off by professionals, the city is hosting their annual celebration at Lindsey Park .

“There will be vendors, music, lots of events for kids and activities,” Tyler Public Information Officer Adriana Rodriguez said. “There’s even going to be like a kid parade. It’s going to be very fun. Fireworks will start as soon as the sun comes down.”

Hooten encourages residents to do their best to be safe during the holiday.

“If you’d like to set off fireworks, go outside the city,” he said. “Do it in a safe place in an open area.”

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