With dry conditions persisting in the Beloit area and across Wisconsin, the Beloit Fire Department wants to remind residents to use legal fireworks safely and take the the drought into consideration.
Beloit is down around 3.25 inches of rain this year compared to normal years, according to data from the the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA). The National Drought Mitigation Center lists Rock County as experiencing a level of severe drought.
Even with high drought conditions, the fire risk listed for Rock County is low, according to the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources, and the reading takes into consideration multiple factors like humidity levels, the amount of time without rain and combined with sustained temperatures over a period of days.