As the annual Fourth of July celebrations approach, and countless San Antonians, including myself, struggle with the city’s worsening air quality, let’s end the tradition of public fireworks displays. Let’s also begin to enforce the city ordinance that states, “The purchase, use and transport of fireworks in the City of San Antonio is illegal and can result in a Class C Misdemeanor which can carry a fine of up to $2,000.”
In other words, let’s stop putting more bad stuff into the already bad air we are breathing.
Cities from San Jose to Detroit have similar ordinances, but they actually enforce them. But it’s the right thing to do if San Antonio is ever going to get serious about SA Climate Ready, its climate action and resilience plan, and leave the coming generations with a cleaner, greener world.
The San Antonio Parks Foundation, which puts on the H-E-B Fireworks Extravaganza, should find another way to end its day-long celebration of Independence Day at Woodlawn Lake Park. People would soon learn to enjoy the holiday without the 12 minutes of fireworks. The San Antonio Parks and Recreation Department should end its support of that portion of the event.
Critics will cite my infringement of their rights to do as they please, but I’d counter that they have no right to infringe on the broader public’s rights to public health and safety.
Also, Bexar County should join forces with the City of San Antonio and end the practice of allowing fireworks vendors to set up seasonal retail shops along highways just outside the city limits. It is, after all, the government’s job to lead on public health and climate change initiatives. Businesses and individuals will not follow unless serious change is endorsed and enforced by elected officials who control city and county government.
Like everyone else, I grew up anticipating and watching annual fireworks displays. I also thought the big, gas-guzzling sedans of my childhood were cool.
Things change. The magic of dazzling colors in the sky is less captivating when we take a closer look at the fallout.
Fireworks release toxic chemicals that harm the environment and worsen already declining air quality. Smoke and ash in the air aggravate respiratory issues for many people, especially those whose asthma or bronchial complications are triggered. Every year, some of the people firing off backyard rockets and bombs are seriously injured. Children in particular are susceptible to burns and eye injuries from mishandling firecrackers, sparklers and other popular items sold for home use.
Fireworks, studies demonstrate, frighten wildlife and even disrupt the mating season for some birds and mammals. Anyone with a panicked, shivering canine knows how much suffering is inflicted on helpless pets terrorized by the noise. Audubon Texas, the state branch of the National Audubon Society, has designated San Antonio as a Bird City. How can we justify driving out all the birds from the city with the noise and smoke?
Fireworks set off during the state’s frequent droughts can also cause wildfires. San Antonio firefighters handled more than 1,000 fireworks-related calls between Dec. 21 and midnight New Year’s Eve in 2022, according to Texas Public Radio.
City and county restrictions exist, but they are widely ignored by consumers. First responders are overwhelmed on holidays by complaint calls, far more than can be thoroughly investigated and acted on. Yes, it’s illegal within the city limits to possess, transport or set off fireworks, but consumers see the retail sites open on the edge of the city limits, a signal that the threat of misdemeanor charges is not a concern. In truth, the city does not make a serious effort to enforce its own ordinance.
The city and county websites encourage people to attend and enjoy public fireworks displays. That’s outdated public policy. City sponsorship of fireworks should end, and commercial entities like Six Flags Fiesta Texas and SeaWorld San Antonio should also be prohibited from hosting fireworks shows.
While local officials are urged to act here, they can expect no help — only resistance — from state leaders, who managed to spend five months debating how to allocate a $32.7 billion surplus without seriously addressing climate change or making recommended changes to the state’s vulnerable energy grid. City and county officials need to lead here.
San Antonio’s elected officials can follow in the footsteps of peers in other cities. Last year, Salt Lake City’s City Council narrowly approved suspension of the city’s regular July Fourth fireworks displays and instead contracted with a company to put on a laser light show in the night sky. Portland banned all fireworks displays last year.
In California, opponents have filed a lawsuit that aims to block the annual Big Bang on the Bay fireworks show in Long Beach.
Most cities, of course, still celebrate the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve with public fireworks displays. That doesn’t mean San Antonio has to follow. We can attract the right kind of attention by being among the first major metros to take the hard steps toward a healthier, safer city and county by ending the holiday tradition of public fireworks displays, and by getting serious about enforcing the ordinance prohibiting personal possession and use of fireworks.
Countless people, and their beloved pets, will thank us.
