Thursday, March 28, 2024

Fire marshal: County may consider burn ban, but fireworks will go on

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Even if the Hood County Commissioners Court votes during its scheduled meeting next week to enact a burn ban, that declaration would not prohibit the use of fireworks for Fourth of July celebrations.

Meanwhile, with the drought conditions worsening, the three largest fireworks vendors operating in Hood County stepped up to offer a partial solution that could lessen the potential fire danger sometimes associated with Independence Day.

On Monday, June 20, representatives of those three key fireworks vendors met with county officials and voluntarily stated that they will not sell fireworks that have “sticks” and “fins” in Hood County for the current Fourth of July season. The three vendors met with Hood County Judge Ron Massingill, Fire Marshal Jeff Young and Sheriff Roger Deeds, pledging that they would not sell those types of fireworks for this year’s Fourth of July. They also indicated during that meeting that they would “reach out” to encourage other local vendors to do the same — all on a voluntary basis.

Young told the HCN that the legal fireworks vendors are required to get their permits through the state of Texas, not the county. Because of that, and other factors including the temporary nature of the locations, the precise number of fireworks vendors is unknown. However, Young estimated that there may be as many as 15 vendors during the peak seasons like now, along with New Year’s Day celebrations.   

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Young has reserved a time during that Commissioners Court meeting to “discuss and take appropriate action” on the topic of putting a burn ban in place for Hood County.

“Even with that, that does not outlaw fireworks,” Young told the HCN.

The extremely popular and spectacular fireworks show put on annually by the Granbury Chamber of Commerce, the centerpiece for the 4th of July Hometown Celebration, will also go on as planned. The professionally staged fireworks show over Lake Granbury will start at about 9:45 p.m. Monday, July 4.

“No, there is nothing that can be done to prevent that from continuing,” Young noted. “The (county) judge can’t prevent that show from going on. Nothing is going to preclude the Granbury Chamber of Commerce from doing the exhibition.”

The ongoing dry conditions make a possible burn ban a relevant topic for discussion, with the standard Keetch-Byram Drought Index (KBDI, maintained through the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service) tilting toward more severe fire danger levels almost on a daily basis.

As of Tuesday, June 21, Hood County’s KBDI index had climbed to an average daily measurement of 572, Young said. The KBDI is an estimate of the soil moisture, which impacts the risk level for wildfires. The lack of significant rainfall, along with high temperatures rising beyond the 100-degree mark recently, — plus low humidity, and high winds that dry out the landscape — all contribute to the rising drought index numbers.

Young said that, on average, the daily KBDI index number for the county has been increasing by an average of about nine points per day. He noted that if the local KBDI number had climbed as high as 575 by June 14 (which it didn’t), the county could have banned the so-called “sticks and fins” (airborne) fireworks — regardless of the voluntary action that was taken by the three key vendors on June 21.

Young mentioned that the local KBDI index was “in the 600s” at the time of the “Big L” wildfire in March, which burned at least 10,300 acres of land in western Hood County (Lipan area) and parts of Erath County.

For individuals who choose to use fireworks, which of course continue to be banned inside the city limits, Young offered some helpful safety advice.

“As always, anytime you are using an incendiary device, caution should always be used,” Young said. “Under these dry conditions, a heightened level of caution should be exercised.”