City of Cedar Park issued the following announcement on Dec. 19
Due to extremely dry conditions, Williamson County entered into a burn ban on December 15 and Travis County has remained under a burn ban since November 17. Still, fireworks sales officially began on December 20 and run through January 1 and the Cedar Park Fire Department is reminding citizens and residents in its entire fire service area to please not use fireworks at all – and to be careful with other holiday-related activities such as cooking.
While fireworks are extremely popular at this time of year, it is illegal to possess or use them in the City of Cedar Park and within 5,000 feet (just under a mile) of the city limits without a special permit. The Cedar Park Fire Department responds to several areas of Travis and Williamson Counties, which are not in the city limits but are part of the city’s extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ). Fireworks are illegal in those ETJ areas that are served by the Cedar Park Fire Department. Outdoor burning within the City limits of Cedar Park without a special permit is always illegal, regardless of burn ban status.
Cedar Park Fire Chief James Mallinger says, “We realize that it can be confusing to know whether fireworks are illegal at your home - especially if you live in an area that is just outside of Cedar Park City limits. This is why the Cedar Park Fire Department and other area Fire Departments in Williamson County join forces each year together to offer an online map. It shows exactly where fireworks may and may not be used. It is important to keep in mind that if you live less than a mile from Cedar Park city limits you could be breaking the law by possessing or using fireworks, and we still maintain that the safest thing to do is not use fireworks – especially considering the dry conditions triggering the Counties’ burn bans.”
The link to the online map Chief Mallinger mentioned is https://gis.wilco.org/maps/?viewer=countymap. It shows areas marked off in red that are the “buffer zones” surrounding area city limits. Fireworks are illegal both inside the city limits and in these buffer zones shown on the map.
The City of Cedar Park has a zero tolerance policy regarding fireworks. That means police must issue citations to any violators. The fine, including court costs, for possessing fireworks adds up to $189.
Chief Mallinger says, “The reason we have zero tolerance with fireworks is that we’ve seen serious injuries and property damage from them. What starts out as a good time can easily end in a tragedy and ruin the holiday season.”
Additionally, the Cedar Park Fire Department is asking residents to be extremely vigilant about preventing house fires during the holiday season and the colder winter months. This includes using extreme caution while cooking indoors and outdoors, heating homes and patio areas and decorating with holiday lighting.
Chief Mallinger says, “One of the most common causes of fires we see is unattended cooking. When you are cooking, if you must leave the kitchen wear an apron or carry an oven mitt to remind you to check on your cooking.”
The Cedar Park Fire Department joined firefighters from several other departments across the region to make a video public service announcement called Stop the Pop.
Original source can be found here.
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