St. Charles Fire Chief Says Fireworks Show Will Go On July 4th

As several St. Louis communities , the show will go on in St. Charles. 

Chief Ernie Rhoads is more concerned about the sustained high temperatures causing heat stroke than fires from fireworks in St. Charles. 

For more news about events in St. Charles, follow St. Charles Patch on Facebook. 

Rhoads said across St. Charles County there have been a few brush fires, but heat emergencies are up more than that. He said that the area is not experiencing an extreme draught. The National Weather Service has not issued a "red flag warning"

'We're not Colorado or anything like that," he said. "There's nothing that says crisis mode." 

The fire department will add more trucks and paramedics on the street on July 3 and 4, but that's something they would do every year over the holiday. 

The fireworks display, scheduled to start at 9:20 p.m. July 4th as part of the city's Riverfest event, is shot from a barge in the Missouri River. 

"I'd rather have people go to our show than shoot off fireworks in their neighborhoods," Rhoads said. "Irregardless of the weather or time of the year, fireworks are dangerous."

The fireworks display will be put on by a professional group, Rhoads said. Every year the city has an emergency plan to respond to a potential disaster. 

See our other stories: