Commissioners move to ban fireworks before July 4th
Laura Jesse (photo)
Commissioners Court PAO
Bexar County Commissioners Court unanimously declared a local state of disaster Tuesday, effectively laying the groundwork to restrict the use of fireworks to designated safe areas. Through the declaration and three additional orders, July 4th revelers will have to shoot off fireworks from one of ten designated safe areas. Anyone caught setting them off outside of a safe area could be fined up to $1,000 or sentenced to 180 days in jail.
According to National Weather Service data, Bexar County is in a drought with only 6.57 inches of rain on record since September 2007.The area is now 10 inches below normal rainfall with temperatures almost 7 degrees higher than normal.
“The lack of rain, high temperatures and windy conditions are prime conditions to lead us to a repeat of New Year’s Eve unless we do something to control the use of fireworks,” Bexar County Fire Marshal Orlando Hernandez said, referring to the hundreds of grass fires sparked over the New Year’s Eve holiday.
In addition to the disaster declaration, Commissioners Court approved an order prohibiting the outdoor burning of incendiary devices, an order prohibiting the sale and use of “winged items” and an order restricting the use of fireworks to designated safe areas. Winged items are those fireworks or pyrotechnic devices that require wings, propellers or a blade to achieve flight.
If a resident wants to report the illegal use of fireworks in the County, they should call a non-emergency number instead of 911. Grass or structure fires and other emergencies, however, should be reported to 911. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number is (210) 335-6000.
“We want to remind residents that if they do have an emergency and they call 911 they should not hang up if the call isn’t answered immediately,” Commissioner Sergio “Chico” Rodriguez said. “People who repeatedly call and hang up are tying up dispatchers and keeping other people with emergencies from getting through.”
The ten safe areas are:
● U.S. 281 South, just inside Loop 1604 (two locations)
● U.S. 90 West at Montgomery Road
● I-10 West at Old Fredericksburg Road (two locations)
● Talley Road at FM 471
● FM 1346 and East Houston Street, inside Loop 1604
● Highway 16, one mile south of Loop 1604
● I-35 South, just outside Loop 1604
● U.S. 281 North, just north of Borgfeld Road
Commissioners Court PAO
Bexar County Commissioners Court unanimously declared a local state of disaster Tuesday, effectively laying the groundwork to restrict the use of fireworks to designated safe areas. Through the declaration and three additional orders, July 4th revelers will have to shoot off fireworks from one of ten designated safe areas. Anyone caught setting them off outside of a safe area could be fined up to $1,000 or sentenced to 180 days in jail.
According to National Weather Service data, Bexar County is in a drought with only 6.57 inches of rain on record since September 2007.The area is now 10 inches below normal rainfall with temperatures almost 7 degrees higher than normal.
“The lack of rain, high temperatures and windy conditions are prime conditions to lead us to a repeat of New Year’s Eve unless we do something to control the use of fireworks,” Bexar County Fire Marshal Orlando Hernandez said, referring to the hundreds of grass fires sparked over the New Year’s Eve holiday.
In addition to the disaster declaration, Commissioners Court approved an order prohibiting the outdoor burning of incendiary devices, an order prohibiting the sale and use of “winged items” and an order restricting the use of fireworks to designated safe areas. Winged items are those fireworks or pyrotechnic devices that require wings, propellers or a blade to achieve flight.
If a resident wants to report the illegal use of fireworks in the County, they should call a non-emergency number instead of 911. Grass or structure fires and other emergencies, however, should be reported to 911. The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office non-emergency number is (210) 335-6000.
“We want to remind residents that if they do have an emergency and they call 911 they should not hang up if the call isn’t answered immediately,” Commissioner Sergio “Chico” Rodriguez said. “People who repeatedly call and hang up are tying up dispatchers and keeping other people with emergencies from getting through.”
The ten safe areas are:
● U.S. 281 South, just inside Loop 1604 (two locations)
● U.S. 90 West at Montgomery Road
● I-10 West at Old Fredericksburg Road (two locations)
● Talley Road at FM 471
● FM 1346 and East Houston Street, inside Loop 1604
● Highway 16, one mile south of Loop 1604
● I-35 South, just outside Loop 1604
● U.S. 281 North, just north of Borgfeld Road
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