St. Helena postpones Fourth of July fireworks show due to hot, dry conditions

The city of St. Helena has postponed its Fourth of July fireworks due to hot and dry conditions.

The fireworks show will be postponed "to a later date in the year when conditions are more favorable," the city announced Tuesday afternoon.

Thursday has a forecast high of 105 degrees. Due to increased fire risk, the National Weather Service issued a Red Flag Warning Monday for higher-elevation areas of Napa County that was set to stay in effect until 5 p.m. Wednesday.

Other Fourth of July events including a bike parade, concert and community festival have been rescheduled to later in the day, and some have been moved to Crane Park.

"The decision to postpone the fireworks portion of our city's 4th of July festivities was not an easy decision for city staff to make," Mayor Paul Dohring said in a statement. "Although we will not have fireworks to celebrate, the work that city staff has done to make sure that our entire community can still come together and celebrate is remarkable. The family-friendly celebration with the Red, White, and Blue Bike Parade, Saint Helena Community Band, St. Helena Fire and Police Departments, inflatables, and more will be memorable for our children and children at heart."

The fireworks show was previously scheduled to start at 9:30 p.m. Thursday over Crane Park and St. Helena Primary School. Napa County's only other public fireworks show will be in American Canyon.

"After much consultation, reviewing weather forecasts, and historical information, we had to make the right decision for our community," Fire Chief John Sorensen said in a statement. "A Red Flag Warning has always been the point where we would postpone the fireworks show; however, this week presents additional challenges. While we made this decision before the Red Flag Warning was extended, we recognized the potential danger with high temperatures leading to increased fire danger with or without a Red Flag Warning. We are looking forward to continuing to participate in this year's 4th of July festivities with our Spray Zone and look forward to celebrating with many in our community."