And the fireworks sales go on

Robert Hendricks opened the TNT Fireworks stand at noon on Saturday in Yuba City, despite Gov. Schwarzenegger's request to Californians to not buy fireworks this year due to dangerous fire conditions.

Hendricks, athletic director at Faith Christian, said they make 50 percent of their fundraising revenue from fireworks sales at the Colusa Avenue stand, allowing the athletic program to buy uniforms and equipment.

"If we didn't have this then we would have been in trouble this year," Hendricks said.

He thinks the governor overreacted when he told Californians on Wednesday they could help firefighters by not purchasing or using fireworks.

Kristin Irons agrees with the governor that this is one of the worst fire seasons in California, but she came to the stand in Yuba City anyway.

Irons recently moved to Plumas Lake from a county where she couldn't buy fireworks. She invited her whole family over for the Fourth of July celebration.

"It'll be fun - something the kids could enjoy," she said.

Pete Daley, division chief of operations for the Yuba City Fire Department, said the city won't ban fireworks, although they were encouraged to do so by another statement from the governor on Friday.

"Usually it's not the sale of safe and sane fireworks that cause problems," Daley said.

Fireworks approved by the California State Fire Marshall don't explode or shoot into the air, have a seal and are considered safe and sane.

Still, the fire department strongly urges people not to use fireworks due to the fire conditions this year, said Daley said.

If wind conditions are unsafe on the Fourth of July, he said he won't use fireworks with his family.

In Colusa, groups planning fireworks sales said California's existing bans on moving and flying pyrotechnics, like bottle rockets and Roman candles, are protection enough.

Rev. Justin Soto of Charity Baptist Church said he hopes to sell $4,000 worth of fireworks - a tenth of the budget for its 20-student Christian school.

"I think there's always potential for summer fires," Soto said.

He said it's unfair to try to ban fireworks this year because of the rare storms.

"I think people are aware, living in this part of the country, what needs to be done to prevent fires," Soto said. "It's always going to be a dry part of the year where July Fourth falls."

Even slow fireworks sales would lead to widespread belt-tightening, according to Principal Barbara Genera of Our Lady of Lourdes School.

"As far as the school budget, that probably would put us in the red," said Genera, whose school has sold fireworks every summer since the 1980s. "It may not seem like much, but our budget is very tight and that money's already been included in the budget for next year."

Chief Stephen Hart of the Olivehurst Fire Department said he understands the governor's concern about creating more fires.

"Unfortunately, it's too late in the year to deny the people the right to celebrate Independence Day," Hart said.

Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Katy Sweeny at 741-2400 or ksweeny@appealdemocrat.com. Contact Appeal-Democrat reporter Howard Yune at 458-2121 or hyune@appealdemocrat.com