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Commissioners allow Memorial Day fireworks sales; emergency management advises caution and burn‑ban limits
Summary
The court approved permitting fireworks sales for the Memorial Day holiday and discussed burn-ban provisions; emergency management reported KBDI at 325 (below 500 threshold) and recommended restrictions on bottle rockets and winged aerials if a burn ban is later imposed.
Jim Wells County Commissioners Court approved permitting the sale of fireworks for the Memorial Day holiday and discussed public-safety limits in the event of elevated fire danger.
Lance Brown, county emergency management coordinator, reported KBDI (Keetch–Byram Drought Index) conditions for the county at about 325, well below the 500 threshold cited in discussion, and said the value was unlikely to reach 500 in the next two to three weeks. He noted KBDI readings update and cautioned the number could change.
Brown and other emergency-management speakers described two categories of concern if a burn ban is declared: fireworks “with sticks” (for example, bottle rockets) and those with “wings” that can travel into neighboring yards. The county referenced Bexar County practice as an example—allowing aerial fireworks but not stick or winged devices during burn bans—and suggested that approach if a burn ban is later imposed.
The county also noted that sales permits for stands are administered through state permitting and that local enforcement is limited to burn-ban restrictions and public-safety enforcement. The commissioners approved the motion to permit fireworks sales for Memorial Day by voice vote.
Residents who have concerns about neighbors’ fireworks were told that local officials can respond to complaints, but larger regulatory questions about vendor permits are handled at the state level.
