Commissioners ban certain bottle-rocket-style fireworks, authorize limited sales with restrictions

The commissioners voted to enact a local ban on fireworks described in the agenda as "missiles with pins and rockets with sticks." The court placed the ban on the record after hearing from the county fire chief, who recommended limiting items that pose a heightened fire risk.

With the ban in place, the court then approved authorization for retail sales of fireworks during the emancipation-day period (June 14 through midnight June 19, 2026) but explicitly included the ban’s limitations. A local retailer asked the court if the ban could be waived given recent wet weather; the chief and other commissioners said weather conditions can change quickly and the fire department’s recommendation supported maintaining the restriction.

The court instructed the fire chief to review the banned categories for clarity and to implement enforcement consistent with the local order.