Despite the best efforts of the 2020 Loggers Playday committee, there will be no fireworks show at Olympic Stadium Saturday because of the hazardous fire conditions.

“I’m sorry to say, but with conditions as is, I need to deny the fireworks show at this time,” read an email from Aberdeen Assistant Fire Chief Rich Malizia to Pyro Spectaculars Way North office administrator Cindi Grant, who submitted the permit application Sept. 8.

“We are under red flag warning with unusually high heat and low humidity in our area,” continued Malizia. “With Loggers Playday shut down due to COVID-19 restrictions and no real event happening, I can’t endorse the fireworks show at this time.”

Playday committee member Hoki Moir said, and Malizia’s email affirmed, the door is open to the possibility of rescheduling the fireworks show later in the year when conditions improve.

Loggers Playday 2020 was officially canceled in mid-August, when Hoquiam Mayor Ben Winkelman was forced to deny the event permit due to state COVID-19 restrictions on public gatherings. The logging competition and the Hoquiam Elks Grand Parade that preceded it had to be canceled. There had been no previous interruption in the event prior for 56 years.

Up until the official denial of the permit, the committee had been working on throwing some type of event if state restrictions allowed, including a competition that featured only local loggers. The Hoquiam Elks Grand Parade — not just a great tradition but a big fundraiser and membership drive for the fraternal organization — had been canceled before that time.