Beckham County, OK – While many rural residents enjoy celebrating Independence Day with fireworks on their own property, Beckham County Sheriff Derek Manning is reminding everyone to clean up the mess once the celebration is over.
Manning said it is common for people living outside city limits to shoot fireworks at their homes, but he encourages residents to be mindful of the debris left behind.
"I always see the evidence over the next few days," Manning said. "If you did shoot fireworks, whether it's out in the county or in the city, make sure you go back around behind yourself either that night or the next morning, or in the next couple of days, and pick up the debris."
He said spent fireworks, cardboard, and other trash are often left along roadsides for days or even weeks after the Fourth of July.
"If you're out there having a good time shooting fireworks, great, but just make sure you clean up after yourself," Manning said. "That's something that you see for a few days, if not weeks, after the Fourth."
Manning said he was out of town during much of the holiday weekend but monitored local emergency activity remotely. From what he observed, Beckham County appeared to avoid any major wildfire incidents.
"I didn't see anything major," he said. "I saw maybe a grass fire or two. I saw one around Elk Lake that I can't say whether or not that was fireworks related, but I didn't see anything that looked major from what I could tell."
He noted that because he was away, he could not confirm whether every fire reported over the holiday was fireworks related.
With dry conditions continuing across western Oklahoma, officials encourage residents to remain cautious when using fireworks and to properly dispose of any leftover materials after celebrations conclude.
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