Lea bans fireworks sales, use in county
Curtis C. Wynne/News-Sun
LOVINGTON — While hoping and praying for more rain, Lea County commissioners on Thursday banned sale and use of fireworks due to extreme and severe drought conditions.
With a proclamation imposed only in the unincorporated portions of the county, the elected board joined the cities of Lovington and Hobbs which already had passed similar restrictions.
Although the U.S. Drought Monitor on Thursday reported the northern portion of the county abnormally dry, the majority of Lea County remained in the D2 severe drought condition shown on June 1.
In spite of one citizens’s objections, the commissioners’ vote was unanimous. They plan to bring the issue back to the June 29 regular meeting for either an extension or cancellation the restrictions — depending on drought conditions at that time.
“We are not pushing this on anybody,” Commission Chairman Dean Jackson said. “Hobbs and Lovington have had similar resolutions that they passed. All we’re trying to do is keep the pasture lands and people’s property safe. We are following every guideline we can follow.”
Pointing out the limits of the ban, Jackson noted the Independence Day celebrations remain accessible to all.
“As far as taking anything away from the citizens any right to celebrate that they have, I don’t think we are,” the commissioner added. “The cities still have large firework displays which are a lot better than anything you can purchase on your own. The only thing we are banning is the sale and use of missile type rockets, helicopters, aerial spinners, stick type rockets and ground audible devices. That’s it, the things that really start fires.”
Other commissioners added their “hope and prayers” for rain they said will allow them to rescind the ban before the holiday.
“If the rain will continue for the rest of the month, this could change,” said Commissioner Jonathan Sena. “We just want people to be safe … so they wake up with their homes in place on July 5.”
In addition to banning the sale and use of the hazardous fireworks Jackson listed, the proclamation specifies:
“The use of any fireworks not listed in (as Jackson stated) shall be limited to areas that are paved or barren or that have a readily accessible source of water for use by the homeowner or the general public.
“The use of all fireworks within wildlands is banned.
“The sale or use of display fireworks is banned unless it is a public exhibit approved by and under the supervision of local fire authorities.
“This proclamation applies only to the unincorporated portions of Lea County.
“Violations of this proclamation shall be subject to criminal and civil penalties as listed in the Fireworks Licensing and Safety Act …”
If the county elected officials fail to rescind the ban at their regular meeting on June 29 due to continued drought conditions, the proclamation expires in 30 days, a few days after Independence Day on July 4.
The U.S. Drought Monitor depicts the location and intensity of drought across the country using five classifications: Abnormally Dry (D0), showing areas that may be going into or are coming out of drought, and four levels of drought (D1–D4), with the agency’s website showing most of Lea County in a D-2 condition.
The U.S. Drought Monitor is a joint effort of the National Drought Mitigation Center, U.S. Department of Agriculture, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
