WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CBS12) — As Americans prepare to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, fireworks retailers across Florida are gearing up for what could be one of the busiest Fourth of July seasons in years.

At Sky King Fireworks in West Palm Beach, store manager Bill Murphy said customers are already starting to stock up.

“We have definitely seen a little bit of an increase in traffic with the fact that this is our 250th anniversary,” Murphy said. “We anticipate it just progressively getting busier and busier the closer it gets to July 4 season.”

As Americans prepare to celebrate the nation's 250th birthday, fireworks retailers across Florida are gearing up for what could be one of the busiest Fourth of July seasons in years. At Sky King Fireworks in West Palm Beach, store manager Bill Murphy said customers are already starting to stock up. (WPEC)

As Americans prepare to celebrate the nation’s 250th birthday, fireworks retailers across Florida are gearing up for what could be one of the busiest Fourth of July seasons in years. At Sky King Fireworks in West Palm Beach, store manager Bill Murphy said customers are already starting to stock up. (WPEC)

The excitement comes with an unusual backdrop: one of Florida’s worst droughts in decades.

State officials say current conditions are even more severe than those seen in 1998, the last time a statewide fireworks ban was imposed. While no restrictions have been announced this year, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson recently warned that widespread fireworks use could create a dangerous wildfire risk.

“Potentially hundreds of thousands of people going out doing fireworks. You could put the entire state on fire in one evening,” Simpson said during a May press conference. “We all love the 250th celebration we’re going to have this year, but we probably ought to be considering alternatives.”

The warning comes despite the arrival of South Florida’s rainy season.

CBS12 News StormTrac Meteorologist Lauren Olesky said recent storms have helped, but not nearly enough to reverse months of unusually dry weather.

“Even though, yes, it’s rained a lot, especially when rainy season began, it’s not enough to get rid of any drought conditions that we’re dealing with,” Olesky said.

In fact, she estimates it would take roughly a foot and a half of rain in a month to fully erase the deficit.

The bigger concern, Olesky explained, is what the drought has left behind.

“When we have these really bad drought conditions, we have a lot of what we call fuel, which is leaves and twigs and dry brush and plants that are dried and have no moisture to them,” she said. “So it only takes a tiny, tiny little spark to create a little fire.”

Add Florida’s summer winds, and those small fires can spread quickly.

State officials say current conditions are even more severe than those seen in 1998, the last time a statewide fireworks ban was imposed. While no restrictions have been announced this year, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson recently warned that widespread fireworks use could create a dangerous wildfire risk. (PHOTO: WEST FLORENCE FIRE RESCUE)

State officials say current conditions are even more severe than those seen in 1998, the last time a statewide fireworks ban was imposed. While no restrictions have been announced this year, Agriculture Commissioner Wilton Simpson recently warned that widespread fireworks use could create a dangerous wildfire risk. (PHOTO: WEST FLORENCE FIRE RESCUE)

Murphy said that’s why his industry keeps a close eye on weather conditions leading up to the holiday.

“We keep a very close eye on the drought index because obviously we don’t want people firing if it’s dry,” he said.

Still, after more than a decade running the West Palm Beach store, Murphy said he’s never seen a drought severe enough to completely stop fireworks celebrations.

“I’ve been running this store for over a decade, and we’ve yet to have a drought that was so severe that they actually said no fireworks, no fireworks sales, no fireworks being set off,” he said.

And even if restrictions were imposed, Murphy noted that customers wouldn’t necessarily lose their investment.

“The nice part about fireworks, it’s not like food — it doesn’t expire,” he said. “Put it in the closet, put it in the garage, it’s good for the next event.”

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With nearly a month remaining before Independence Day, much will depend on how much rain falls between now and July 4.

“We haven’t seen drought conditions like this in a while, and it’s been very persistent for the past few months,” Olesky said. “I would love fireworks, but unfortunately, I wouldn’t be totally surprised if you do see some kind of ban on them across parts of the area on the Fourth.”

For now, Murphy is preparing for what he expects will be a busy holiday. After all, he said, America’s 250th birthday only comes around once.