I'm start this petition to fight for Riverside rights and freedom to celebrate the 4th of July as a community. They have bonfires over in Warwick every year and they legalized fireworks. Here is a letter from our councilman giving their reasons on why Riverside can't construct a bonfire. Please help me fight for old traditions to pass on to our children to enjoy in the future.

Councilman Conley, I have confirmed with the Fire Chief the following information regarding the Riverside bonfire issue. I hope you find it helpful in responding to the constituent’s inquiry. The annual Sabin Point bonfire was stopped years ago, although the Fire Dept. is not aware of a specific reason that it was stopped. The Fire Dept. has the following concerns: - The debris that is piled on the beach can consist of anything. Oftentimes, it’s trash that should be disposed of properly, and in this case, it is not. Nobody verifies the contents of the pile, which could release toxic and noxious fumes masked by the smoke. Mr. Yuski specifically mentions that this serves as a good way to clean up the beach and the park, which makes this concern valid. - There are always prevailing winds coming off of the Providence River, and this blows burning embers into the surrounding neighborhood. EPFD cannot advocate the bonfire for this reason alone. - EPFD had previously provided a Fire Engine and 3 firefighters at this detail, at overtime rates, from approximately 7 PM until 2 AM. At time-and-a-half for 7 hours, which includes their set up time, standby time, extinguishing time, and cleanup time, we are talking approximately $852.95. - It takes quite a while to properly extinguish such a large fire of all types of debris, and many trips to a nearby hydrant to replace the water on the truck to complete extinguishment. There is no hydrant nearby to provide a continuous supply of water, and aside from this issue, it is not clear who is then responsible for cleaning up the remaining debris. Some may argue that the City has permitted a bonfire for the past 2 years at the High School for their homecoming event, just prior to Thanksgiving. However, this is coordinated with the maintenance crew at the High School. EPFD cordons off an area in the middle of the ballfield, fences it off, and only clean wood is used. No combustible or flammable liquids are used to ignite or sustain the fire. It is not in proximity to any structures, and it doesn’t compare in size to the previously built bonfires in Riverside. And it does not serve as a collection point for refuse. I must concur with the Fire Chief in stating that the City would not be a proponent of the Sabin Point bonfire for the aforementioned reasons. In addition, I have asked the Fire Chief to confirm with the Department of Environmental Management on any potential restrictions due to their burning and smoke guidelines. We can fight this together and make sure we construct of fun and safe bonfire for everyone to enjoy and keep Riverside fun and traditional for years.

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