The kids didn't end up getting fireworks, instead we hung out in a school parking lot and watched different displays from this one location.

It was kind of fun.

On the way back, we saw a fire that had just started by the side of the road, probably from a falling rocket.

It would take hold rapidly in the dry texas grass that surrounded a housing edition on all sides.

As we approached, everyone slowed down then sped off again.

I pulled over.

"What are you doing?" asked R.
"I have a Fire extinguisher in the trunk."
"why do you...never mind."
"Call the Fire Department"

I pulled the extinguisher from the trunk and ran across the road, dodging the traffic , found the right way to point it and pressed the button.

The force and speed with which it doused this respectable little fire gave me a better understanding of the word 'Extinguish'.

Once the smoke from the fire cleared, I could see a few embers still glowing, but the extinguisher was exhausted.

"I got an answering machine" said R.

Hmmm.

Fortunately, our friends in the truck ahead had finally turned around and come back.

I got one of the kids to give me a 2 litre bottle of root beer from the truck, and I poured that over the last embers, and around the rest of the area just to be sure.

And that was that. No-one will know, except you, gentle reader, who it was that stopped and put out a fire that would have quickly grown in size and most likely damaged some homes before the fire department could have got there.

But I know.

And I also know if I hadn't been worried about fireworks starting a brushfire that day, I wouldn't have put the Fire Extinguisher in the trunk, and wouldn't have been able to put out the the brushfire started by a firework.

So I feel a little better about myself today.

Sometimes I just need validation, I guess...