The Bedford Lumber facility, located adjacent to H.V. Griffin Park, was cited as a fire risk by Fire Chief John Habel, who recommended that Wednesday's fireworks show be cancelled due to drought conditions. (T-G file photo by Brian Mosely) [Click to enlarge]

The fireworks display scheduled for July 4th at Shelbyville City Park has been canceled on the recommendation of Fire Chief John Habel due to the extreme drought the area is enduring.

Other activities scheduled for the 4th at the park will go on as scheduled, Recreation Director Silva Pinson said.

In a letter to city manager Ed Craig, hand-delivered Tuesday following a special called city council meeting, Habel recommended that "we cancel the fireworks scheduled for the 4th of July celebration as many of our neighboring cities have done.

"The Park borders a large area that is undeveloped and overgrown with limited access for fire department vehicles," Habel wrote.

The chief also stressed that the old Bedford Lumber Company property "is particularly dangerous due to the large amount of combustibles stacked outside and the sawdust piles in the wooded area to the back of the property.

"Even with significant rainfall in the next few days, the conditions will still be too dry for outside fires of any type."

Habel told the council that "we're in the middle of one of the worst droughts we've had and chances are everything could come out all right," but the chief said he would rather be cautious.

AEDC has already canceled their fireworks display on Woods Reservoir due to the dry weather.

An outdoor burning ban has residential fireworks displays in Tullahoma and brought to a halt as well. Outdoor burning is also banned in Manchester.