Doña Ana County commissioners further limit sale and use of fireworks during drought
DOÑA ANA COUNTY, New Mexico - With most of Doña Ana County in severe or extreme drought, county commissioners on Tuesday placed additional restrictions on fireworks Tuesday morning.
“Doña Ana County is in a 100% drought condition," said county attorney Nelson Goodin. "The entire county.”
The county had already banned aerial fireworks, but on Tuesday, commissioners decided to limit the use of "safe and sane" fireworks to paved and barren areas, or where there is a water source nearby.
| PLACE | AERIAL FIREWORKS | "SAFE AND SANE" FIREWORKS |
| Doña Ana County (unincorporated areas) | Not allowed | Allowed in paved and barren areas, or where water source is nearby |
| Las Cruces | Not allowed | Allowed in paved and barren areas, or where water source is nearby |
| Hatch, Mesilla and Anthony | Allowed anywhere | Allowed anywhere |
"Safe and sane" fireworks are defined as fireworks that don't fly or explode, according to Pyro City.
The county had previously allowed specialty retailers to sell aerial fireworks to customers who did not live in the county. In Doña Ana County, Goodin said that only included Bowlin's Old West Trading Post.
However, county leaders decided to ban specialty retailers from selling aerial fireworks for the next twenty days.
“We are very diligent in making sure we don’t sell to Doña Ana County residents," said Kit Johnson, the director of operations for Bowlin Travel Centers.
Johnson expressed his frustration that county residents can buy any type of firework in stores that operate in Hatch, Mesilla or Anthony.
“Doña Ana County residents will be buying aerial fireworks in all of these various municipalities," Johnson said.
"The entire state of New Mexico is in extreme drought," Goodin said. "We hear everyday about the fires up north... It is an extreme situation right now."
