Dry conditions, upcoming fireworks celebrations spark worry for Edmonton fire chief
New Year's Eve is just around the corner, and many Edmontonians will head to Churchill Square to watch the annual fireworks display.
But the lack of rain and snow over the last few months has Edmonton's fire chief concerned.
"Even the New Year's fireworks, there's some concern because it's still pretty dry," Joe Zatylny said.
In November, there were dozens of fireworks complaints and 17 fires as people set off fireworks to celebrate Diwali.
Most of the people lighting the fireworks did not have permits, according to one city councillor.
"If you are not trained, and you don't have a permit, you cannot shoot off fireworks," Zatylny said.
This coming weekend, Edmonton Fire Rescue Services has approved eight fireworks permits.
The owner of Uncle John's Fireworks says it's become next to impossible for individuals to get a fireworks permit in the city.
"You have to not just be a professional, but you have to have very expensive insurance which really puts it out of the reach of not only most people but most communities," said John Adria.
Adria says the strict fireworks regulation is only encouraging people to tell on one another, so those who are going to use fireworks in the city aren't using them at their homes.
"Instead of people doing it on their driveway where it's safe, where the grass is cut and mowed, they're going to parks. And we don't cut the grass in some of the parks and now that's causing problems," he explained.
People using fireworks are advised to make sure it's a Canadian product, wear goggles and keep everyone at least 100 metres away.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Decoy bear used to catch man who illegally killed a grizzly, B.C. conservation officers say
A man has been handed a lengthy hunting ban and fined thousands of dollars for illegally killing a grizzly bear, B.C. conservation officers say.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
OPP responds to apparent video of officer supporting anti-Trudeau government protestors
The Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) says it's investigating an interaction between a uniformed officer and anti-Trudeau government protestors after a video circulated on social media.
An emergency slide falls off a Delta Air Lines plane, forcing pilots to return to JFK in New York
An emergency slide fell off a Delta Air Lines jetliner shortly after takeoff Friday from New York, and pilots who felt a vibration in the plane circled back to land safely at JFK Airport.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Loud boom in Hamilton caused by propane tank, police say
A loud explosion was heard across Hamilton on Friday after a propane tank was accidentally destroyed and detonated at a local scrap metal yard, police say.