Hot Springs Resident Concerned About Public Fireworks Show Still On Go

"I hope to dear god it's canceled, because I warned them. I warned everybody," he said throwing up his hands.

Cliff Jackson has been taking steps to have Garland County officials reconsider allowing the Lazy Lane Property Owners Association public fireworks display.

"It's really, really bad. Where they are going to do it is surrounded by a lot of undeveloped land. If there is even a small percent chance, even five percent, it's an unacceptable risk," Jackson said.

Jackson said his neighbors have already had close calls with fireworks during the Memorial Day celebrations.

"There was a fireworks display over by the Pointe and my neighbor over here, a half mile away, had his yard catch on fire when embers came into his yard. His lawn actually caught on fire, and he had to put it out with a water hose," Jackson said. "Just because you're shooting these things over a lake doesn't mean those sparks can't be carried over to land. And with the wind like it is, who knows how far it could go."

The lakeside display's organizer would not comment to KARK on camera, but he did tell us all the necessary safety precautions would be in place tomorrow night.

According to the Piney Fire Department chief, the show is a go for now. But he also told KARK he would make a final decision on the display after considering the Fourth's final weather conditions.

"I am hoping there will not be fireworks tomorrow night and I'm not against fireworks I grew up doing fireworks on fourth of july but there needs to be some common sense applied here," Jackson said.

With Garland County's dry conditions, Jackson's also concerned about insurance coverage. He obtained a copy of the certificate of insurance the POA provided to local and state officials. But as a lawyer, according to his reading of the document he believes the coverage won't be enough if a fire erupts from the show.

"It would go nowhere, we have Hot Springs Baptist Church that's probably a $12 million facility that adjoins 100 something acres of brush, sage grass," he said. "It''s all a tinder box. And while the policy covers the fireworks companies, it doesn't extend to the POA. And the policy is for $5 million total, but for fires the liability says up to $50,000. That's not per person. Not per instance. That's aggregate. It's very bad."