Are fireworks either safe or sane given these conditions?

The books are now closed on the 2007-08 weather year, but it's not one that will be easily filed away and forgotten.

In all likelihood, Sonoma County will be dealing with the past dry season for months to come through increased water conservation and fire suppression. If we're not particularly diligent in the coming week, some impacts could be visible for years.

Overall, Santa Rosa finished the rainfall year, which officially ended on Monday, with 24.03 inches, nearly 7 inches less than its 30-year rainfall average. It's also 3.42 inches more than the total from the year before. But in the grand scheme of things, the difference is hardly a trickle.

What's hard to believe is that just six months ago, Santa Rosa's rainfall was 3 inches above normal, thanks to healthy downpours in October, December and January. But then all hopes for a good water year shriveled up as Sonoma County experienced the driest spring on record.

As Staff Writer Bob Norberg reported on Monday, the lack of rain has left Lake Mendocino, once again, in a bad place, with not enough water for salmon. As it did last year, the Sonoma County Water Agency is already asking customers to scale back water usage by 15 percent.

If this weather pattern holds, North Bay residents can expect these reductions to become more of the norm than the exception, which will necessitate more dramatic, and less voluntary, changes in our water-use practices. Consumers would be wise to start making permanent adjustments now.

Meanwhile, the extra dry spring also has left the hills prone to wildfires, as demonstrated in recent days. At last count, there were still 123 fires burning in Mendocino County alone. Around the state, the fires numbered more than 1,400.

To make matters worse, the new weather year starts this week with a bad combination -- dry hills, winds and firework sales.

Although only a handful of North Bay communities still allow the sale of "safe and sane" fireworks, conditions are critical enough to make everyone more nervous than usual.

It's questionable whether it's either safe or sane to allow fireworks sales anywhere in these conditions. But as long as communities such as Petaluma, Rohnert Park and Sebastopol still allow them, it's in everyone's best interests to ensure they're used correctly -- and leave no lasting impressions on our tinderbox landscape.