Northlake will let residents set off ground fireworks in their driveways on July 4 and New Year's Eve

Northlake residents will be allowed to set off fireworks at home on the Fourth of July and New Year's Eve under an ordinance the Town Council adopted Sept. 24, the Cross Timbers Gazette reported Thursday.

According to the newspaper, no other city in southern Denton County will permit fireworks inside its limits once the change takes hold.

What the ordinance allows

Only ground-based fireworks are covered. Aerial fireworks that launch and burst overhead remain banned. Residents must use them on their own property, on the driveway and not the street, where state law still prohibits them, the Gazette reported. Fireworks may be set off until 11:59 p.m. on each of the two holidays, and any debris has to be picked up by noon the next day.

Fireworks can be called off in a dry year. The ordinance lets the county's burn ban apply, and the council can also declare one at its last meeting before July 4. Council member Alex Holmes said the town usually has a good sense about a week ahead whether conditions are safe.

The council could add more dates later, the paper reported.

A divided debate

Council member Michael Ganz argued against the change, saying no other North Texas town allows fireworks and that residents with open acreage and livestock could be put at risk. He questioned whether Northlake wanted to be the outlier.

Holmes pushed for restrictions so the town would not draw visitors coming in just to shoot fireworks. She said keeping fireworks on a resident's own lot limits the risk of large fires to the person using them. Mayor Brian Montini said personal responsibility always comes with fireworks.

The council approved the ordinance after that discussion. The Gazette did not report the vote count.

The town is also looking at co-sponsoring a fireworks show with Hilltop Truck Park, which has expansion plans following its annexation by Northlake, according to the report.

Sources

Cross Timbers Gazette