RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas –
Area locals and visitors alike should be forewarned of the burn ban in the area for the upcoming Fourth of July holiday.
Wednesday, Texas Gov. Rick Perry signed the Declaration of Local Disaster for the counties of Bexar, Medina, Guadalupe, Comal, Midland, Andrews, Ector and Kendall, which declared a local state of disaster and requested an extension of existing burn ban policies.
Any possession, transportation, sale or discharge of fireworks is outlawed through Saturday 12:01 a.m. With the authorization of the declaration, local law enforcement officials will no longer issue warnings to people in these counties. They will instead issue a $500 citation on site for the Class C misdemeanor violation. Anyone caught in possession of fireworks within the San Antonio city limits is subject to a $2,000 fine.
"I don't see our law enforcement giving any warnings," Danny Scheel, Comal County judge, said. "They will be giving out citations."
There is a total burn ban in Comal County, including campfires.
"The fee is too steep for our Airmen to pay for one night of fun," Geff Willstrop, Air Education and Training Command Computer Systems Squadron information technology specialist and Comal County resident, said. "Brush fires, once going here in the hill country, are very hard to get big fire trucks into to extinguish those fires."
People from all over the state come to Canyon Lake recreation areas this weekend each year, Mr. Willstrop said. Visitors aren't always the most conscious of the lives, land and homes of those who live and work here. Even one cigarette butt tossed out of a person's window while driving down the highway could cause a massive fire.
"The ground is a tinderbox right now," he said.
"We're trying to get the word across as best we can to a lot of people who may be coming to the county for the July 4th weekend," Judge Scheel said. "Before lighting any fireworks this holiday, check with local county or law enforcement officials for a list of authorized areas."