Every summer, some Winnemac Park residents await the Fourth of July with dread. The unofficial — and illegal — fireworks show that takes place in the park every year can upset those with post-traumatic stress disorder, pets and children, neighbors said.
But this year, after a stretch of wildfire smoke that blanketed the city for days, residents said it’s expected to be even more of a nuisance because of the bad air that will linger.
“We can’t control the wildfires happening in Canada. But we could control how we celebrate our freedom and independence,” said 64-year-old Russ Klettke, who lives across from the park, on Chicago’s North Side.
