If you've never had the experience of your home threatened by fire you probably don't "get" how awful it is. It is an experience like no other.

Absolutely. We lived in a small town and the nearest fire hydrant wasn't very close, and when our neighbor's house went down in the middle of the night, we realized how inadequate it was. Nothing will scare you like putting out a grassfire at 2pm on a 100 degree day with wind when your house is on the chopping block.

There was a redbud tree in the middle of that fire. It was burned to a crisp. It was never cut down, since it wasn't really on anyone's property. A couple of years later, it re-bloomed and leafed out in the spring. Our own little survivor tree.

Re: Post 1:
True. But having your home threatened by a tornado is pretty close.
(Not counting lightning, I guess the difference is that tornadoes aren't started by incompetent thrill-seekers with wind machines.)

Hmm. Well, mianly based on my own experience, I'd have to disagree. I have been afeared of many, many tornadoes, being a fraidy cat, but it is NOTHING like the dread and horror I felt helping to put out a wildfire that was threatening my home. I can't even describe the emotions that inspired but I've known several other people, far more level headed than I am, who have had the same experience they all had the same emotional reaction. It is a big, big, BIG deal and nothing I've ever experienced has inspired that kind of sickening dread - and it lingers years later. Tornadoes are terrifying. Wildfires are horrifying (if the distinction makes sense). Maybe it is because in a fire, there is a tendency to have time to think about what is happening. That may be part of it. Dunno.

For me, it was the thought that someone who was being stupid could mean the end of the home in which I grew up. If a tornado took it, there was nothing I could do--it was an act of nature. But what those kids decided to do that day was totally preventable.

Since no one can provide the details of a Burn Ban, it is safe to conclude that a Burn Ban was never designed and intended for prevention of fireworks. It was simply to stop the burning of trash, etc. So... Go on, everyone, go pop them fireworks!!!

Well think of it this way, you can't even have charcoal grills during a burn ban. Its basically anything that puts out burning embers. So this covers campfires and fireworks. A firework would be considered "trash or other material that may cause forest, crop, or other wild lands fire." This is the generic phrase you see in most burn ban proclamations. Some counties have more specific rules when it comes to welding, cutting, or grinding.

Well think of it this way, you can't even have charcoal grills during a burn ban. Its basically anything that puts out burning embers. So this covers campfires and fireworks. A firework would be considered "trash or other material that may cause forest, crop, or other wild lands fire." This is the generic phrase you see in most burn ban proclamations. Some counties have more specific rules when it comes to welding, cutting, or grinding.

I don't have a link but I definitely remember hearing on one of the local newscasts that outdoor grilling is allowed with some restrictions. That may not be true for all areas though.

Actually I did find a link which addresses that issue.

http://www.forestry.ok.gov/Websites/forestry/Images/Oklahoma%20County%200627.pdf

Note at the bottom where it states:

"Exceptions: Outdoor cooking in approved cooking appliances is permissible with due caution."

Going along w/what ljbab728 wrote...Remember in previous burn bans, outdoor gas grills were allowed but charcoal wouldn't be. And even if using gas, they had to be a set distance away from vegetation, structures etc to minimize setting something adjacent on fire (along the lines of the warnings that are on space heaters)