Charlotte County extends burn ban ahead of Fourth of July

CHARLOTTE COUNTY, Fla. (WINK) — Charlotte County leaders are keeping the burn ban in place ahead of the Fourth of July after a meeting on Thursday.

• RELATED: Burn ban meeting scheduled ahead of 4th of July

That means fireworks are a no-go for the Fourth. Charlotte County is one of just two counties in Southwest Florida still under a burn ban.

WINK News went around to fireworks stands across Charlotte County to see how business is doing as the area heads into the holiday weekend. Some shop owners said there is plenty of inventory still on the shelves, while others said sales are actually up about 30 percent from last year, as customers stocked up.

"This is America... we should be able to do what we want to do," one person said.

Another person said their family always made sure they were in an open area with no grass around.

"You should prepare, don't get too messed up, make sure you're coherent and able to protect everybody," they said.

Chris Wilson said he genuinely thinks the burn ban is a good thing, given how dry it's been lately.

"Wouldn't be the least bit surprised if we do see some brush fires," Wilson said.

Commissioners said they understand it's a big 250th anniversary and know people will shoot off fireworks either way, so they ask people to do it safely and not near or pointed at trees.

The decision will determine whether events like Canopy Kaboom in Babcock Ranch can move forward as planned and if people across Charlotte County can celebrate this Fourth of July with fireworks.