Not wanting to spark a fire during the Independence Day celebrations, Mayor Tim Verzal has canceled the Deer Park fireworks show scheduled at the Deer Park Sports Complex.
The Mayor called for an emergency meeting to discuss banning both the purchase and discharge of fireworks and to ratify his decision to cancel the fireworks show. The meeting will be held today, Wednesday, June 30th, at 7pm.
The mayor’s resolution before the council is to ban the sale and discharge of common fireworks and the public display of fireworks in the city on July 3rd and 4th, 2021, due to the public threat of a fire emergency.
The Mayor gives sources from both Battalion Chief/ Fire Marshal Jared Harms and Bobby Shindelar, Division Chief Fire Behavior Analyst from Fire District 9, to support how fireworks would be a public threat of a fire emergency. These cited documents mention the unprecedented heat that will make our region increasingly vulnerable to wildfires and intensify the impacts of our ongoing drought. In addition, according to the Department of Natural Resources (DNR), we are currently at a high fire danger level with burn bans in place.
An additional issue is that Deer Park City stated that one of the city’s three main wells had a temporary mechanical failure. As a result, the city is currently asking its residents to reduce their water usage.
Current Fireworks Laws(Subject To Changes)
Use Fireworks:
July 4th Noon to Midnight
New Year’s Eve 5:00 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.
Buying Fireworks:
July 3rd & 4th 7am to 8pm
The public is always welcome to listen in on council meeting discussions at:
Time: 7pm
When: First and third Wednesday of the month
Call: 1-669-224-3412
Use access code: 805-100-029#
Sources:
- “City of Deer Park Notice of Special City Council Meeting.” Deer Park City, June 2021, DPGazette.com/dpcpack621. Accessed 30 June 2021.
- “Voluntary Water Reduction.” Deer Park City, 29 June 2021, DPGazette.com/waterreduce. Accessed 30 June 2021.
