Backyard fireworks displays discouraged

South Carolina's drought has state and local fire officials urging people to forgo backyard fireworks displays and attend public ones instead this holiday weekend.

In Anderson County, one of the hardest hit by the drought, fire officials have battled several recent grass fires. County Fire Chief Billy Gibson says those blazes weren't started by fireworks, but he warns that sparks from fireworks can easily cause wildfires.

Fireworks aren't the only threat this holiday. State Forestry Commission spokesman Scott Hawkins says grills and lawn equipment also create an increased risk for fires.

Earlier this week, the state Drought Response Committee voted to upgrade the drought category for five Upstate counties, including Cherokee, to extreme, the most severe.