Without rain, commissioners must ban fireworks in county

Otherwise, the unincorporated areas of the county face a greater danger of wildfire outbreaks, which could turn this holiday season into a tragedy.

State law allows the commissioners to prohibit outright the sales of “skyrockets with sticks” and “missiles with fins.”

Unfortunately, state law doesn’t go far enough, because it ties the hands of commissioners in relation to other fireworks. They have no power to regulate firecrackers, spinning wheels with sparks or even seemingly harmless sparklers. Cities with home-rule charters can ban all fireworks, but not county governments; this is a law that someday needs to be changed at the state level.

Regardless, County Judge Donna Klaeger told The Daily Tribune the commissioners likely will consider a fireworks ban during their Dec. 9 meeting and take a vote the following week.

Until it rains, and rains a lot, this should be a no-brainer. The Central Texas scrub is as dry as a tinderbox. Allowing folks to shoot off flying incendiary devices on New Year’s Eve is tantamount to someone throwing a match into a pile of dry paper.

That’s a scenario that should be avoided.

According to state weather experts, 2008 has been the driest year since 1963 for the greater Austin area and the third driest year on record. Furthermore, current dry weather conditions are expected to last through much of the upcoming winter. 

There may not be relief until February, according to the Lower Colorado River Authority.

The county already has been under a burn ban since June. That alone suggests now is not the time to be shooting off flaming toys.

The average Texas Forest Service Keetch-Byram Drought Index for the county was 616 with a high of 749 this past weekend. 

KBDI measures the potential for forest fires based on daily water balance, and the highest index of 800 indicates extremely dry conditions. 

Drought conditions are said to exist when the KBDI reaches 575 or more, according to state law. 

At the current KBDI level for Burnet County, intense deep burning fires with “significant downwind spotting” can be expected, and live fuels can burn actively, fire experts have said. 

Burnet County and 53 other counties are now under a burn ban, according to the TFS Web site. 

Without rain or a significant amount of moisture, the environment is just too dry to use fireworks. Public safety is at stake, and most — if not all — area firefighters would agree.

There is some ground for compromise with those who make their living selling fireworks, but an outright ban would be best.

State law stipulates the commissioners may restrict or prohibit the sale or use of fireworks “in specified areas when conditions on rural acreage in the county not under cultivation for a period of 12 months are determined to be extremely hazardous for the danger of fire because of high grass or dry vegetation.” 

However, the law also allows the commissioners to designate one or more zones as “safe areas” where the use of fireworks is not prohibited, and “the Legislature encourages a county to designate such an area for that purpose.” 

If the commissioners agree to such a proposal, then the strongest safety measures must be observed and firefighters should be close to the fireworks zone. In the meantime, anyone found breaking a potential fireworks ban should have the book thrown at them.

It is the responsibility of every resident, whether during the holidays or any time of year, to make sure safety is put first.