In view of the extreme weather circumstances of the past July 4, the current Clark County council’s cavalier attitude toward serious consideration of additional fireworks regulation is pathetic. The county and its individual city governments need to agree on firework use controls to ensure protection to all occupants and properties.
A top priority would be to ban the sale and use of airborne fireworks, similar to Oregon’s laws. These devices pose the highest potential to spread flammable debris, smoke, noise levels, injury and litter to individuals and property other than that of the users. The throwing or aiming of any fireworks device on the property of other than that of the user must be prohibited. With the fortunate lack of the usual evening winds this year, the number of fireworks-caused fires, while unacceptable, could have been catastrophic with the low moisture levels.
Conforming to the Oregon ban also would reduce the supply to its residents who now have a sales tax-free source to either break their state laws or plan to come over here to use and add to our problems.
State leaders and legislators need to eliminate the existing statute that requires a one-year grace period to modify fireworks laws. Governing officials need empowerment to enact emergency bans when circumstances warrant, as they did this year. Charities need to find a more acceptable fundraising source than one that brings limited charity to few and malice to many.
