For the first time in 35 years, there won't be a fireworks show on July 4 in Austin. There also won't be fireworks shows in Pflugerville and the Lake Travis area because of the drought, said Hershel Lee, the Travis County Fire Marshal.

The Austin Fire Department decided not to approve any permits for public fireworks shows in the city because of the hot, dry and windy conditions, said Austin Fire Chief Rhoda Mae Kerr. Kerr said she knew people wanted to see fireworks shows but "we just can't take that chance."

The Travis County Fire Marshal is also not approving any permits for fireworks show in the county, Lee said. Cities have individual control over whether they hold fireworks shows.

Pflugerville is canceling their fireworks show at Lake Pflugerville because the dry conditions make it unsafe, said Kathy Ellis, the special events coordinator for the city.

"It's a hard decision to make because we really like to do this for our community and everyone likes to have a good time," Ellis said. She said the show was last canceled five years ago because it rained too much.

Don Hill, a public information officer for the Austin Symphony, which sponsors the fireworks show at Lady Bird Lake, said the show has never been canceled. If there is a significant amount of rain before July 4, the symphony will submit a permit to the city to hold it, he said.

Drought conditions that have gripped the state for months have contributed to large wildfires throughout Texas, including an April 17 blaze in Oak Hill that burned about 100 acres, destroyed 11 homes and damaged 10 others. On Sunday, a transformer fire on a utility pole near Hamilton Pool Park quickly turned into a 50-acre, three-alarm brush fire.

Of the state's 254 counties, 191 have burn bans in effect, including Travis, Williamson, Bastrop and Hays.

Fireworks sales are still permitted in Travis, Williamson, Hays and Bastrop counties, although fireworks vendors have agreed to wait until July 1 to begin selling. Under state law, fireworks can be sold in counties from June 24 to July 4 and from Dec. 20 through Jan. 1, but cannot be sold in cities.

Williamson County commissioners banned the sale of stick rockets and missiles with fins this week because they travel farther when they are lit and are harder to control. Fire marshals and an emergency management coordinator in Hays, Travis and Bastrop counties said they would recommend to their commissioners' courts next week that the sales of rocket and missile fireworks be restricted also.

Leander Fire Chief Bill Gardner said that fire chiefs in Williamson County have asked County Judge Dan Gattis to make a disaster declaration — which would ban the sale of fireworks in the county for 21/2 days. Counties can then send a request to Gov. Rick Perry, who has the authority to extend the declaration up to 30 days.

Vegetation is so dry that flames can move 400 feet per minute if grass and brush catch fire, Gardner said. During the last drought, in 2009, Georgetown Fire Chief Robert Fite said three fires caused by fireworks near Georgetown on July 4 caused "significant" damage.

"We thought we were in a drought then but when you compare it to how bad it is now we are truly worried about this July 4," Fite said.

Mike Fisher, the emergency management coordinator for Bastrop County, had a different opinion.

"We've been through other dry periods before and have not banned fireworks, and (it has) not resulted in major disastrous fires," he said. "Just because we have fireworks for sale doesn't necessarily mean we're gonna have fire."


Chester Davis - Williamson County

Chester Davis, who owns 40 fireworks stands in Williamson County, said a ban on all sales in the county could cost him 30 percent of his business and put 100 people out of work at his stands.

One of the people who operates Davis' stands, Wade Burleigh, said he would lose 25 percent of his annual income if he couldn't sell fireworks on July 4.

Davis said he is also afraid of what people will do if they can't buy fireworks.

"I'm terrified people will go out and start shooting guns up in the air and try to make homemade fireworks," he said.

Davis, a 58-year-old Vietnam veteran and the owner of American Fireworks, said he started selling fireworks in South Austin when he was 12 years old. He said he can't imagine the Fourth of July without fireworks.

"It's what I believe America is all about," he said. "It's apple pie, it's Chevrolet and it's Fourth of July fireworks."