Encouraging the use of fireworks in Arizona: Another chapter in Republican legislative brilliance

Earlier this year, the Arizona legislature passed and Jan Brewer signed HB2246, a measure that deregulated "consumer fireworks" (legislative fact sheet on the bill, including a list of consumer fireworks, here). Under limited circumstances, individual municipalities and counties can create some regulations within their jurisdictions.

However, at this point in time, none have done so.

That may change after events on Monday.

From the Arizona Republic -

Two homes were damaged Monday by a brush fire sparked by firecrackers. There were no injuries, but a dog died in the incident, said Deputy Chief Fire Marshall Jim Ford, of the Scottsdale Fire Department.

Anybody want to start a pool predicting how high the body count/acres burned totals will get before the lege takes another reexamines the wisdom of deregulating fireworks in a state so totally prone to wildfires?

My predictions: body count between 20 and 25, and acres burned between 10,000 and 20,000.