Fireworks light up the sky over the stadium during opening night for Super Bowl LI at Minute Maid Park on Monday, Jan. 30, 2017, in Houston. One Houston official wants to make them harder to buy around the city. (Smiley N. Pool/The Dallas Morning News)
Smiley N. Pool/Dallas Morning News
With Fourth of July just days away, a Houston city council member is asking a question many residents ask every summer: If fireworks are illegal inside Houston city limits, why are they still so easy to buy outside them?
Council Member Edward Pollard recently issued a letter urging Harris County and Fort Bend County commissioners to consider prohibiting the retail sale of consumer fireworks in unincorporated areas surrounding Houston, arguing the current system undermines the city’s existing fireworks ban.
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“Although the discharge of fireworks is prohibited within the City of Houston, that prohibition is routinely undermined by the ability to purchase fireworks just outside the city limits,” Pollard wrote. “Every holiday season, fireworks purchased in unincorporated Harris and Fort Bend Counties find their way into Houston neighborhoods, creating preventable risks for residents and placing an unnecessary burden on first responders.”
Pollard pointed to several concerns in his letter, including residential fire risk during dry summer conditions, fireworks-related injuries, impacts on pets and wildlife, excessive noise affecting veterans, seniors and people with anxiety disorders, and increased demand on emergency responders.
“Illegal fireworks are not just a nuisance, they are a serious public safety concern that can put families, neighborhoods, and first responders at risk,” Pollard said in a separate Facebook post. “They also have a real impact on some of our most vulnerable residents, including veterans, seniors, young children, and others who may be affected by the noise and disruption.”
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Houston has long prohibited the possession and use of fireworks within city limits, with violations subject to fines under city ordinance. However, consumer fireworks are still legal to purchase in many unincorporated parts of Harris and Fort Bend counties under Texas law, creating a patchwork that has frustrated city officials for years.
Houston Council Member Edward Pollard is asking Harris and Fort Bend counties to consider prohibiting consumer fireworks sales outside city limits ahead of the Fourth of July.
Houston Chronicle/Hearst Newspap/Houston Chronicle via Getty Imag
Retailers push back on proposed restrictions
Supporters of the fireworks industry argue those sales remain an important part of holiday traditions and provide significant fundraising opportunities for community groups.
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Top Dog Fireworks, one of the region’s largest retailers, said it understands that some residents oppose fireworks but argued the industry also supports community organizations and holiday traditions.
“We respect those who dislike fireworks, but many people enjoy fireworks, especially on July 4 and especially this year on the 250th birthday of the United States,” spokesperson Sue Davis said in a statement. “Top Dog is proud to work with a number of nonprofits throughout the area, such as band boosters, drill teams, churches and ROTC groups, to help them raise funds for their organizations.”
Likewise, Pollard acknowledged prohibiting retail sales would represent a significant policy change, but argued the issue extends beyond Houston’s boundaries because residents, roadways and emergency services are shared across the region.
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“I respectfully request that you place this matter on a forthcoming Commissioners Court agenda,” Pollard wrote. “Because our communities share residents, roadways, and emergency services, a coordinated regional approach would better protect public safety and reinforce the intent of Houston’s existing ordinance.”
The proposal comes as the Houston Fire Department once again reminds residents that consumer fireworks remain illegal within city limits and encourages those looking to celebrate Independence Day to attend professionally organized displays instead.
Pollard’s office is hosting one such event, Liberty Fest, on June 28 at PlazAmericas, which he described as a safe, family-friendly alternative to backyard fireworks.
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