SAN ANTONIO, Texas –
It's taken a little over a month, but Bexar County officials have declared ten "safe zones" in which certain kinds of fireworks can be lit off through the entire July Fourth weekend.
The San Antonio Express-News reported on June 27 that on June 25, Gov. Rick Perry extended a 60-hour disaster declaration that took effect June 26.
That declaration allowed the county's ban on certain types of aerial fireworks and a limit on other pyrotechnics to 10 safe zones to remain in effect through the entire July Fourth weekend.
Fireworks cannot be possessed within the city of San Antonio, and they can only be shot in the safe zones, which will be open between 6 p.m. and midnight on July 3 and July 4.
Bexar County law enforcement officials, including those from the Fire Marshal's Office, will patrol throughout the holiday. Violation of the ban could result in a fine up to $1,000 or 180 days in jail. In the city limits of San Antonio, police and fire officials will issue citations for possession of any fireworks, with fines ranging from $250 to $2,000.
"If it's in your hand and they catch you with it, you'll get fined," said Deborah Foster, a San Antonio Fire Department spokeswoman. "It doesn't matter if you light it or not."
Crafting the final rules for the holiday weekend has taken time. County commissioners first banned "rockets with sticks" and "missiles with fins" on June 3, then raised the possibility of using a recently amended state law to ban the use of fireworks countywide.
Officials worked with the fireworks industry on the creation of safe zones, and on June 17 it banned all winged fireworks and decided to issue a disaster declaration that would effectively make those zones the only legal places to ignite fireworks.
Bexar County Fire Marshal Orlando Hernandez said the disaster declaration was necessary because of the "extremely dangerous dry conditions" in the area. And, he noted, the days leading up to July 4th look grim.
"In that 14-day outlook, the conditions actually got worse for Bexar County," he said. "So according to state law, the county judge and the commissioners court are allowed to seek emergency measures to prevent the large wild-land fires that may endanger residents and their property."
Allison Castle, a spokeswoman for the governor's office, said nine counties - including Comal, Medina, Kendall and Guadalupe - had requested extensions of their disaster declarations as of Thursday. Others could ask for extensions as Independence Day approaches.
The legislation that allows the disaster declarations took effect last year, Castle said, "so this is the first Fourth of July fireworks season that this is really coming into play."
The following places are safe zones for July 4 fireworks:
Mr. W Fireworks
1. U.S. 281 South, north of Loop 1604
2. U.S. 90 West at Montgomery Road
3. I-10 West at Old Fredericksburg Road
4. Talley Road at FM 471
Alamo Fireworks
1. FM 1346/E. Houston just inside Loop 1604
2. I-10 West at Old Fredericksburg Road
3. Texas 16, one mile south of Loop 1604
4. U.S. 281 South, north of Loop 1604
I-35 South, just outside Loop 1604
Loop 1604 between Applewhite and Jett roads