HIDALGO COUNTY, Texas (KVEO) — The Rio Grande Valley is in a moderate drought with a long dry season ahead, and now fireworks sales might be a recipe for disaster.
Hidalgo and Cameron County fire marshals say their weather source reports no drought.
“Until the national weather service and Texas forest service says, we are declaring a drought, then at that point is when we’ll go into start making preparation for a burn ban,” said Hidalgo County’s fire marshal Homero Garza.
Willacy and Starr County are in a burn ban, but Hidalgo and Cameron County are not.
Cameron County’s fire marshal says that while they are watching the radar, burn bans don’t prevent the use of fireworks.
“It would have to be a separate commissioner’s courted agenda item,” said Juan Martinez.
Martinez says people should use self-extinguishing fireworks and avoid tall grass to ensure safety.
“Using common sense and making sure people, and making sure—uh we want people to have fun but we want to make sure they’re doing it as safe as possible,” said Martinez.
Martinez says they are still burning leftover brush from the previous hurricane and don’t plan to issue a burn ban.
