No Fireworks Ban In Tom Green County Despite Wildfire Danger
Living in West Texas, we all know the dangers of wildfires. They've already taken their toll in 2022. There have been thousands of dollars in damage and even loss of life. The extreme dry weather has been dragging on for months.
So it was no surprise that Tom Green County Commissioners ordered a burn ban on Tuesday. The Court has ordered a burn ban which prohibits all burning outdoors, whether it be trash or brush. This ban affects unincorporated areas of our county for 90 days or until the Court lifts the ban.
Fortunately, for our upcoming 4th of July holiday, Commissioners did not ban the purchase, sale, possession and use of fireworks in the county. County Judge, Steve Floyd, told the court at the Commission's regular meeting, that because our KBDI drought standard is below the standard of 575, the court couldn't legally ban aerial fireworks.
However, state laws allows cities to ban fireworks, while counties cannot. The City of San Angelo has permanently banned all fireworks inside the city limits. Fireworks are also banned at Twin Buttes Reservoir because of fire dangers and mess left by people celebrating with fireworks there.
Long range weather forecasts from the National Weather Service continue to show dry conditions for this summer and an extended heat wave. The only hope we might get for rain might be tropical systems landing on the Pacific side of Mexico and migrating in our direction.
In fact, the National Weather Service has issued a Rangeland Fire Danger Statement on Tuesday warning of high winds, low humidity, high temperatures and lots of dry fuel available to start a wildfire inferno. Even if you are exercising your right to light off fireworks legally on private property, it is not a good idea to be careless. It just takes a spark that can ignite a damaging wildfire that will not only affect you, but countless others nearby.
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