The Gazette-Enterprise

GUADALUPE COUNTY — Ask local firefighters, and for them the benchmark of bad when it comes to fireworks is New Year’s Eve 2007.

In the 24 hours beginning that afternoon, Guadalupe County’s volunteer fire departments, supported by the Seguin Fire Department, answered about 90 calls related to fireworks. Along the way, they injured several of their men and damaged several vehicles.

As a result of the experience and the ongoing record-smashing drought, county officials in the year and a half since have banned outright or restricted fireworks use and sales.

And for the second July Fourth in a row, local public safety officials and firefighters reported a relatively quiet holiday, which the county’s top law enforcement officer attributed to the restraint of the community and the county’s emergency manager says is proof the approach has worked.

“We had a very good weekend as far as fires and fireworks are concerned,” said Sheriff Arnold Zwicke. “We had six fire calls and 20 fireworks calls. Everybody’s aware we’re in a critical situation with the drought; they’re doing their part to keep Guadalupe County safe and we certainly appreciate that.”

But that doesn’t mean everybody “got it” when it came to what fireworks could be sold.

Zwicke sent investigators around to stands, and an operator of a stand in the Redwood area near San Marcos was cited for selling an aerial device banned by the county’s fireworks order.

“We had a couple of our undercover guys go into different stands throughout the county, found they were largely in compliance and we appreciate the help there,” Zwicke said. “I realize it dampens everything that non-profits lose revenues, but it’s just like the farmers — a lot of people are getting beat up by this drought.”

Guadalupe County Emergency Management Coordinator Dan Kinsey recommended two weeks ago that commissioners cut the fireworks selling season to four days and restrict from sale or use all aerial fireworks.

“I’m glad that I have in Mike Wiggins a county judge who is willing to look at new ideas and consider new ways of doing things,” Kinsey said. “I think our ‘weekends only’ burn ban and this interim step on fireworks have both been successful.”

In the wake of the 2007 New Year’s debacle, county planners facing a hot and dry Fourth of July 2008 banned all fireworks sales or use in the county, causing one of the big players in the industry, “Mr. W Fireworks,” to file an unsuccessful suit to block the action.

The following New Year’s season was wiped out too, and this time the county withstood a media and publicity campaign launched by another vendor, “Alamo Fireworks,” which offered prizes for people who called members of county governments to complain.

During both holidays, local authorities praised two other smaller players — “Big Tex” and “American Fireworks” for their understanding and cooperation.

This holiday, the index the county uses to determine whether conditions are so unsafe fireworks must be banned had not risen to the statutory threshold by the June 25 deadline, and county officials instead chose to declare an emergency and try a shortened selling season with severe restrictions on aerial fireworks.

County fire chiefs contacted Monday reported the idea appeared to have worked well.

“As far as I know, nobody in the county had calls caused by fireworks,” said Kingsbury Fire Chief Bill Harborth. “We were very pleased about that. Our hats are off to citizens for being careful.”

The McQueeney Volunteer Fire Department answered a couple of medical aid calls Saturday evening and responded to a grass fire at Leisure Village that turned out to be an illegal burn. Firefighters reported they found a second illegal burn just down the street from the first.

“For us, the weekend turned out to be much quieter than expected,” said McQueeney VFD Chief Tim Bogisch.

The New Berlin Volunteer Fire Department had what was believed to be the only fireworks-related call of the weekend when one of its members returning home from work at little before 6 p.m. Sunday found two fires burning on opposite sites of FM 2538.

“The two fires were caused by some type of aerial fireworks launched from a moving vehicle,” Strey said. “They were quickly extinguished by responding fire trucks from New Berlin and some quick-acting ranch owners.”

Strey said he believed caution by citizens coupled with the county’s ability to get the word out combined for a relatively safe holiday.

“I believe the media attention, the burn ban and fireworks limitations along with some restraint shown by our citizens is what made our Fourth a safe and happy one,” Strey said.

Kinsey said he was satisfied with the outcome.

“We had a few calls — most of them not fireworks related,” Kinsey said. “All the firefighters got to enjoy the holiday with their families, the fireworks companies got to sell some things and everybody was safe. When you give people an outlet, they’ll cooperate and follow the law.”

It’s the same, Kinsey said, for fireworks vendors.

“If you give the fireworks businesses an outlet, all the reputable firms will cooperate,” Kinsey said.

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