EDITORIAL: Fireworks ban the right thing to do

It promises to be a quieter and saner Fourth of July this weekend.

Flathead County is expected to join the parade of Western Montana counties prohibiting fireworks during these dry dangerous days of early July.

That’s a welcome decision and will be a relief to many people who have been fretting about what damage fireworks might wreak in the Flathead Valley where we haven’t seen any real rain for — astoundingly — 29 days.

That incredible dry streak, the hottest June on record and the prospect of no weather relief on the horizon put us on the cusp of a fire crisis needing only sparks to ignite disaster.

This time of year, fireworks often provide those sparks. While it may be an affront to some of our neighbors who cannot light up the sky with their usual Fourth of July fun, banning fireworks is without a doubt the right thing to do.

Fire-danger numbers are off the charts for this time of year: We have late August conditions and we are barely into July.

We have some sympathy for the economic hit being borne by fireworks sellers, but the bottom line is that the pyrotechnic pleasures of the holiday are not worth the risk of burning fields, homes or forests.

Let’s all enjoy Independence Day but let’s do it without torching our valley or our forests.

Council candidates wanted

There’s not much time left, but if you want to try your hand at public service, today is the filing deadline for local city council elections.

Interest so far has been less than overwhelming for open council positions in Columbia Falls, Kalispell and Whitefish.

There’s only one contested race among Kalispell’s four council wards, Whitefish candidates for mayor and council are unopposed and only one candidate has filed for three open positions in Columbia Falls.

Serving on a city council is not often glamorous but it’s important (millions of dollars are at stake and council members decide a host of issues that affect their constituents) and critical to the efficient operation of our cities.

We encourage civic-minded citizens to step up and run for the councils.