Downtown Fort Worth fireworks show canceled as fires break out along river, across city
Fort Worth’s downtown fireworks show was canceled Monday night after grass fires broke out along the Trinity River minutes after it began.
Video by KDFW Channel 4 showed lines of fire along the banks of the Trinity River.
The show at Panther Island Pavilion is billed as the biggest fireworks show in Dallas-Fort Worth.
The fire has since been extinguished, a representative with the Fort Worth Fire Department said.
BREAKING: 9 minutes into the fireworks show is on a temporary delay. No official word yet but we can see fire trucks in the distance and fire crews on the ground putting out the flames. #FOX4 #FortWorth pic.twitter.com/XwGYfnzojc
— Macy Jenkins (@MacyJJenkins) July 5, 2022
Happy July 4th I guess? Fort Worth fire/fireworks show wheels have come off. pic.twitter.com/E2krqfnxEZ
— Doc Holliday (@raccoonrocket_) July 5, 2022
The Fort Worth Fire Department has responded to 68 calls for grass and brush fires — 51 more than last year, according to a tweet from the department.
9:30PM UPDATE: Since 5PM, the #FWFD has responded to 43 grass/brush fire calls in #FortWorth. That is 68 total calls today (so far). Which is 51 MORE calls than the ENTIRE 4th of July in 2021.
It is very dry. It is breezy. It’s incredibly dangerous. One spark is all it takes. pic.twitter.com/xsaaCVrLI7— Fort Worth Fire Department (@FortWorthFire) July 5, 2022
Craig Trojack, a representative from the department, said officials had been preparing for the possibility of a grass fire happening at the event. He said the Tarrant Regional Water District had been mowing the grass, watering it down and making sure the area was maintained. There were also trucks on standby for the show, he said.
Fort Worth and Tarrant County is in a drought with the county’s level between severe and extreme.
The question of whether show should’ve happened given the dry conditions wasn’t for the fire department to say, Trojack said. Laws were followed and the show was permitted. He said the department is working to mitigate grass fires across the city as calls comes in.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.