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Nevada City will be the only place in the county where it will be legal to set off fireworks this Fourth of July.
Last year, Grass Valley and Nevada City banned the sale and use of fireworks due to the various wildfires in the area. Fireworks have been illegal in the unincorporated area of Nevada County since 1977. Earlier this month, the Grass Valley City Council approved a year-round ban on sales, use and possession of fireworks.
At Wednesday’s Nevada City Council meeting, Fire Chief Sam Goodspeed told council members he would allow the use of fireworks within the city limits. However, he planned to maintain the ban on their sale.
Due to an “extremely low incidence of fireworks complaints or violations, the fire chief has determined that fireworks use will continue to be permitted within the Nevada city limits,” his memo stated.
The only areas excluded from this permission are the Deer Creek wildland area and the old Nevada City Airport.
Goodspeed also reserved the right to propose an urgency ordinance placing a ban on the use of fireworks should fire conditions dictate such a move.
Council members argued that fireworks sales should be allowed, but ultimately voted unanimously to accept the fire chief’s letter.
“The council realized that maybe next year we’ll reconsider sales,” Mayor Barbara Coffman said Friday afternoon. “If you can use them, why can’t you sell them? We can use the tax dollars here. Next year, I want it on the calendar earlier so we can consider sales.”
It was hard to support banning such a longstanding fundraising effort, Coffman said.
“Fireworks on the Fourth of July are a Nevada City tradition,” she said.
Goodspeed said he was concerned about the effect of selling fireworks that could then be used in areas where they were banned.
“The problem Grass Valley was having was there were nine vendors in town and a large amount of fireworks were being sold,” he said. “They estimated 36 percent of those sales were going into the unincorporated area of the county.”
While Goodspeed acknowledged that less than 1 percent of the fires statewide are caused by fireworks, he said there still is a risk.
“It is a very low occurrence, but at the same time with it being in the middle of fire season, if you had one (firework fire) go, it could be catastrophic,” he said. “I do not want to be responsible for fireworks being sold and being taken into areas where they are prohibited. That’s not being a very good neighbor.”
Coffman did not see selling fireworks as a liability issue, noting, “As in the past, vendors would have to tell people where they can use them legally.”
Last year, Grass Valley and Nevada City banned the sale and use of fireworks due to the various wildfires in the area. Fireworks have been illegal in the unincorporated area of Nevada County since 1977. Earlier this month, the Grass Valley City Council approved a year-round ban on sales, use and possession of fireworks.
At Wednesday’s Nevada City Council meeting, Fire Chief Sam Goodspeed told council members he would allow the use of fireworks within the city limits. However, he planned to maintain the ban on their sale.
Due to an “extremely low incidence of fireworks complaints or violations, the fire chief has determined that fireworks use will continue to be permitted within the Nevada city limits,” his memo stated.
The only areas excluded from this permission are the Deer Creek wildland area and the old Nevada City Airport.
Goodspeed also reserved the right to propose an urgency ordinance placing a ban on the use of fireworks should fire conditions dictate such a move.
Council members argued that fireworks sales should be allowed, but ultimately voted unanimously to accept the fire chief’s letter.
“The council realized that maybe next year we’ll reconsider sales,” Mayor Barbara Coffman said Friday afternoon. “If you can use them, why can’t you sell them? We can use the tax dollars here. Next year, I want it on the calendar earlier so we can consider sales.”
It was hard to support banning such a longstanding fundraising effort, Coffman said.
“Fireworks on the Fourth of July are a Nevada City tradition,” she said.
Goodspeed said he was concerned about the effect of selling fireworks that could then be used in areas where they were banned.
“The problem Grass Valley was having was there were nine vendors in town and a large amount of fireworks were being sold,” he said. “They estimated 36 percent of those sales were going into the unincorporated area of the county.”
While Goodspeed acknowledged that less than 1 percent of the fires statewide are caused by fireworks, he said there still is a risk.
“It is a very low occurrence, but at the same time with it being in the middle of fire season, if you had one (firework fire) go, it could be catastrophic,” he said. “I do not want to be responsible for fireworks being sold and being taken into areas where they are prohibited. That’s not being a very good neighbor.”
Coffman did not see selling fireworks as a liability issue, noting, “As in the past, vendors would have to tell people where they can use them legally.”
To contact Staff Writer Liz Kellar, e-mail lkellar@theunion.com or call 477-4229.
