KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Fourth of July is just days away and many people love to celebrate with backyard fireworks.
However, the Tennessee Fire Marshal's Office is offering some warning ahead of those homegrown light shows. State leaders said last year's fireworks were blamed for starting 175 fires.
They also reminded people that selling and shooting fireworks in Knoxville and Knox County is against the law.
"People are probably going to do it anyway,” said Mark Wilbanks, the Assistant Chief of the Knoxville Fire Department.
Even though fireworks are illegal, Wilbanks said they prepare for fire damages around this time of year. He said the fire department's call volume usually rises around now and they usually see burn injuries as a result of people mishandling fireworks around the Fourth of July.
This year, the weather could only make it worse.
"June turned it turned hot, crispy, which is welcoming for me because I don't like mowing grass. But in terms of your concerns about the July Fourth holiday, it may be not so great,” said Charles Dalton, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service.
He said they expected East Tennessee to get around 2 more inches of rain by now. The lack of rain has made grass drier in neighborhoods around the area, which could make conditions hazardous. It could make it easier for fireworks to start fires.
"The chances of the rain over the next couple of days are pretty slim, so we have a pretty high concern about grass fires, spot fires, fires in trees, things like that,” said Wilbanks.
He also said for people who want to celebrate the upcoming holiday with fireworks, there's a way to enjoy them safely. There will be a fireworks show in World's Fair Park and several others across the area — the Festival on the Fourth.
"It really doesn't matter where you go," he said. "We just want you to leave it up to the professionals because they are dangerous."