The Route 66 town of Duarte, California, recently enacted a ban on the use and sale of fireworks, mostly because of the fear they would ignite wildfires in the nearby foothills.
But this isn’t an action by a so-called out-of-control city council. This ban recently was approved by the city’s voters in a ballot measure.
The ban does not affect public fireworks displays on the Fourth of July or other festivals as long as organizers get a permit.
The San Gabriel Valley Tribune has the details:
For about 50 years, Duarte allowed the sale and use of legal fireworks. When residents, concerned the promotion of fireworks risks wildfires in their drought-parched hillsides, asked for a ban in July, the City Council balked at a decision and instead left it in the hands of voters. […]
Duarte Mayor John Fasana said he started getting complaint letters from residents about “fireworks overkill” in 2014. In response, the city that year limited the hours allowing the discharge of fireworks from noon to 11 p.m. July 4 only. The council discussed the topic again in July 2016 following a brush fire.
But it wasn’t until a citizens’ group, Duarte Safety First, led by business owner and Duarte resident Michele Silence, presented extensive research this year about fireworks’ negative effects on veterans, pets and the environment that the council considered an all-out ban. A 3-1 vote put the question to voters instead.
The proposed fireworks ban on the ballot prompted organized opposition:
Phantom Fireworks and American Promotional Events Inc., which operates under business name TNT Fireworks, poured $22,667.52 total into a political action committee supporting the “Save Our Duarte Fireworks – No on Measure F” campaign, according to campaign statements.
They worked the nonprofit angle, that pop-up firework stands have long supported the community.
“Nonprofits over those 50 years (that Duarte allowed fireworks) have generated lots of worthwhile funds for their worthwhile projects,” TNT Vice President John said.
The “no” group lost. According election results posted on Ballotpedia, those supporting the ban garnered 51.36 percent of the vote. The opposition gained 48.64 percent. Less than 200 votes out of almost 7,000 cast made the difference.
Fireworks stands — many of them fundraisers for local charities — still dot the side of the road in small towns from Missouri westward. But I suspect fireworks bans similar to Duarte’s slowly will spread across about 1,600 miles along Route 66. The states of Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California are notorious for being susceptible to drought and wildfires.
Plenty of people use fireworks safely, but a few fools will fire them off irresponsibly — sometimes with disastrous results.
It brings to mind a few years ago when a couple, motoring through New Mexico on a cross-country trip, bought a bunch of fireworks at a large store off Interstate 40 in Moriarty, then set them off in a field south of Santa Rosa. The fireworks touched off a wildfire that burned several hundreds of acres and got the couple arrested.
M.E. Sprengelmeyer, then-publisher of the Santa Rosa-based Guadalupe County Communicator, in an editorial railed against the foolhardiness of the Moriarty business selling fireworks when the entire state was in throes of a severe drought. Indeed, it was akin to a parent giving a teenager a bottle of whiskey and keys to a Corvette.
In Tucumcari, where I live, the city council earlier this year came very close to enacting a fireworks ban similar to Duarte’s because of a severe drought. Fortunately, ample rains fell a few weeks before the Independence Day holiday to lessen the fire risk. The city took the ban proposal off the table.
As I said, I predict fireworks bans or restrictions will spread across the Southwest over time. Residents of the region hold a libertarian streak, but they often draw the line when foolish acts begin to destroy property and strain municipal firefighting resources.
(Image of a fireworks stand in Texas by Kim Jenkins via Flickr)
Here in the UK November the Fifth – Guy Fawkes Day – was the only time fireworks were traditional. With the influx of Hindus to the UK, the annual religious festival of Diwali has become another “traditional” time for fireworks. People buy fireworks for birthdays, etc at the drop of a match. Massive “professional” displays now accompany each New Year – paid for by the taxpayer. The amount of pollution created by this type of display all around the world on 1st Jan never gets blamed for adding to the damage mankind does to the world. Because it is one more example of Big Business at work. Perhaps after the terrible fires in California, Americans will see sense. Perhaps…….