Huntley's Fourth of July Fireworks Show a Go

The skies will light up in Huntley tonight as the village holds its annual fireworks show, despite hot and dry conditions.

While neighboring communities, including Cary, have canceled Independence Day fireworks shows, Huntley started preparations on Tuesday to make sure the show goes on.

Huntley officials said Huntley Fire Protection District firefighters were prepping the area where Mad Bombers Fireworks Production staff will light off the display.

Villages and cities have been dealing with the question of whether or not to cancel fireworks shows since last week as the hot, dry conditions persisted.

The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning with the temperature expected to hit 100 degrees. The heat is combined with dry conditions. The National Integrated Drought Information System has placed all of Illinois in the moderate drought category.

According to the National Weather Service, the climate station at O'Hare International Airport has measured less than a half-inch of rain in June, which is about 2.69 inches less than normal.

Huntley, however, announced Tuesday that the show would be held.

Mad Bomber, based in Elgin, will produce the show. Employees will light the shells form a site in a swampy area off Freeman Road, north of the Huntley Outlet Center, 11800 Factory Shops Blvd., where residents are invited to park to view the show.

“It’s remote and the people can’t get close to where it’s setting off because of bugs, snakes, you name it,” Huntley Fire Protection District Fire Marshal Ernest Link said. It is also near cornfields so there are no homes nearby.

Typically, there is no wind out of the east, he said. There has never been any fallout going over the building, he said.

Still, the fire district has a brush truck that carries 250 gallons at a time stationed at the site to work with Mad Bomber employees, Link said. Village staff has been mowing the area and firefighters will water it hours before the show, he said.

“If the (Mad Bomber employees) are not comfortable with the area or how dry it is, they won’t shoot” off the fireworks, Link said.

Mad Bomber does shows throughout the Midwest. Towns were watching the weather since late last week and were expressing concern about the conditions.

However, Mad Bomber President Andy James said the wild card is wind.

“If it’s windy and dry, it’s a problem,” he said. “Wind can carry an ash or spark much further, where it’s more likely to find some sort of fuel to support combustion.”

Amateurs shooting off fireworks are more likely to cause a problem than the Mad Bomber show, James said.

“Everything we do is very controlled, very predictable,” James said. “We tell them to leave it to the professionals. Come and watch the fireworks, leave it to the people who do it every day.”

Huntley officials sent out a reminder about illegal fireworks this week stating “the village of Huntley has a zero-tolerance stance on illegal fireworks. If residents ignite even a small amount of explosives, they could be fined or arrested. Stay safe by keeping fireworks out of everyone's hands.”

Even sparklers are not allowed in Huntley, Link said. Sparklers can reach 1,800 degrees and can cause serious injury, including burning hands and fingers, he said. Additionally, the dry conditions are not good to shoot off fireworks in neighborhoods where dry grass could fuel a fire, he said.

With much of northern Illinois in a moderate drought, other local fire and emergency management officials are warning residents of the potential risk of fire caused by fireworks.

The Lake County Fire Chiefs Association and the Lake County Emergency Management Agency are asking residents to avoid using sparklers or illegal personal fireworks over the Fourth of July holiday.

"Any fireworks can produce sparks that can start wildfires when conditions are very dry. A fire that starts is likely to grow and spread rapidly," said Kent McKenzie, Lake County Emergency Management coordinator. "Also, fires of any kind can be dangerous, including campfires, bonfires and even cooking grills when not used safely, so we urge residents to use extreme caution."

“People need to use common sense when it gets to conditions like this,” Link said.

Libertyville/Vernon Hills Patch Local Editor Korrina Grom contributed to this story.