Still Dangerous

It's legal. But ...

Jul 01, 2022

Westerville firefighters check for damage and to make sure any floating ash did not settle in the ceiling of this garage.

I don’t follow every Westerville fire or police department emergency response.

This one was different. Most of the fire department’s calls are medical. Sometimes it is a single medic unit. Sometimes two units, one as a backup.

Everybody went to this garage fire in Uptown Westerville, including the new hook and ladder truck that had to navigate itself onto a narrow alley for the best location.

(Everbody doesn’t really mean everybody. It means a full response with multiple fire trucks, a medic, fire chiefs, and several police officers)

Opting out of danger

Later that day the city announced that it would opt out of a new law permitting fireworks other than novelty incendiaries such as sparklers and similar devices.

This fire proved even that is dangerous.

A novelty snake fireworks designed to do nothing more than spew a stream of ash and smoke started this small fire in an unattached garage. A novelty firework that is still a fire. In this case, it ignited nearby cardboard requiring a fire department response.

There was little damage and no injuries. The fire was almost extinguished when the fire department arrived. The only firefighting apparatus required was a handheld extinguisher.

Making a photo every day is challenging. Monday was my Braun Farm day so I chose a photo from that shoot for My Final Photo. It could easily have been the garage photo at the top. It makes a better newsletter item with the addition of the city’s announcement later that day.

In the last newsletter

The house and barn at the Braun Farm may be demolished as a developer intends to seek city approval for a project that would meet the requirement of the planning commission and city council.