Fireworks celebrations limited to rural areas
"People better be awful careful with them as dry as it is," - Fire Marshal Larry Staff
By SHANNON CRABTREE scrabtree@leader-news.com

Rural Wharton County residents may be planning to have a New Year's blast, but those inside the city limits need to plan on a slightly quieter celebration.

Fireworks are only allowed in unincorporated areas and the recently annexed Sandy Corner neighborhood. Any explosive celebrations in the cities of El Campo and Wharton are subject to a fine.

Fireworks are completely banned in most municipalities.

The El Campo fireworks ban, El Campo Fire Marshal Larry Staff warns, includes transportation of the small explosives devices.

"They are not to be brought into the city limits," he said. "We have a zero tolerance."

Anyone caught with fireworks within municipal boundaries will have their purchases confiscated and could face a fine of up to $250.

Those discharging fireworks can face an additional fine of up to $350 and can be held monetarily responsible for any damage caused by a fire cracker.

Even out in the county, there are limitations on where fireworks can be discharged.

It is not legal to shoot fireworks off of a county road or a parking lot without the owner's permission.

Celebrants must be on private property with the owner's permission to discharge fireworks.

The National Weather Service is predicting clear skies with a low around 40 on New Year's Eve.

Under certain conditions - generally related to the danger of wildfire in an area - the types of fireworks sold can be limited within rural areas.

In Wharton County, however, overall conditions have been wet enough to allow the use of bottle and finned rockets as well as free standing fountains or sparklers.

"But people better be awful careful with them as dry as it is," Staff said, adding that although the fireworks restriction won't be enforced in newly annexed areas, "they need to kind of abide by it especially when it comes to taking a chance of damaging somebody else's property."

El Campo Assistant Fire Chief Jimmy Nielsen also urged caution. "With the wet summer, we have high grass and now two frosts have about killed it. It's tall and easy to catch on fire."

Department volunteers will be ready to respond in the event of an emergency, Nielsen said, but added no units will be placed on stand by.

"We're hoping it's very quiet as far as fires," he said.

Safety tips for those celebrating the New Year with fireworks are:

• Read and follow label instructions on how to properly discharge fireworks.

• Only use fireworks with close adult supervision.

• Use fireworks only in areas clear of dead, dry grass and weeds and avoid using fireworks around buildings. Stay far enough way from buildings that wind won't carry hot fireworks onto roofs where leaves or other flammable debris may have accumulated.