2012 Revisited: Grass Fire Puts Halt to Fireworks

From now until the end of the year, Patch will be looking back at 10 stories that shaped Oak Creek in 2012. Here's the third installment, which was originally posted July 5.

• Part I:
• Part II: Scaffidi Elected Oak Creek Mayor

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The Oak Creek fireworks display was halted Wednesday night due to a grass fire just east of where the fireworks were shot off.

It took firefighters about 15 minutes to put out the fire, which was contained to about a one-acre piece of land near East Middle School, Assistant Fire Chief Rodney Palmer said.

The fire is officially under investigation, but it's believed to be caused by the fireworks, he said.

The extremely dry conditions caused several communities to cancel their fireworks, but Oak Creek went ahead under the fire department's close watch.

The department had prepared for such a scenario in the week leading up to July 4, working with the property owner and the Oak Creek-Franklin School District, which watered the area heavily to the point that there was standing water in some spots.

Fire officials told the crews launching the fireworks that if the department had to leave for a fire, the fireworks had to stop.

Oak Creek wasn't the only city where fireworks were halted — in Waukesha, several grass fires sprouted up and forced the stoppage of fireworks there.