The midweek rains aside, Warren County is parched. Unseasonably low rainfall — less than a tenth of an inch through the first 20 days of June — has grassy and wooded areas ripe for the worst.

In Arizona and New Mexico, wildfires continue to burn out of control. The rainfall deficit in those states is more massive than ours, but the dangers are the same. A spark. A burning cigarette. A piece of kindling. The smallest act of irresponsibility could be catastrophic.

The City of Vicksburg has issued a burn ban. Warren County is mulling its options. Fireworks stands are sprouting up throughout the county leading up to next Monday’s July 4 holiday. There is no ban on fireworks right now. Vicksburg’s annual fireworks display is scheduled for July 4 night at City Front. Professionals will be shooting fireworks from a barge in the Yazoo Diversion Canal. They are professionals.

The common fireworks-user is not a professional. This year, though, those users must act like professionals.

Fireworks sales are big business around here. Fireworks are very popular. In a normal year, when the grass is green and the soil fertile, fireworks and burn bans would not even be an issue. But this year is different. The last thing this area needs is a disaster that so easily could have been avoided.

Tornadoes that ripped through our state could not be avoided. The flooding of the Mississippi River could not be avoided. Hurricane season is not quite a month old. Those acts of nature dealt this state major blows. Do we really want to add wildfires to that list?

If shooting fireworks is in the weekend plans, please be careful — for yourself and all of those who live here.

If prudence wins the day and you put the personal fireworks display on hold for a year, go down to City Front next Monday and enjoy the show.

Either way, help make July 4 weekend special for everyone.