Jun. 7—As drought conditions in the region and throughout the state worsen, Santa Fe County officials are looking to ban the sale and use of some fireworks for the rest of June and through Independence Day into early July.

A resolution up for consideration by the County Commission next week would proclaim severe drought conditions countywide and ban the sale and use of certain fireworks in unincorporated portions of the county and within wildlands for 30 days.

A county restriction would not apply to the city of Santa Fe.

City Fire Marshal Geronimo Griego declined to say last week whether he planned to recommend a fireworks ban or restrictions ahead of the holiday, and numerous city officials did not respond to requests for comment.

An agenda for the June 12 City Council meeting incudes consideration of a resolution allowing a public fireworks display July 4 at the Santa Fe Place mall, an event presented by Western Enterprises Inc. and the Kiwanis Club of Santa Fe. However, it doesn’t list a measure regarding restrictions on the sale and use of fireworks.

Under state law, local governments must enact fireworks restrictions at least 20 days before the Fourth of July, one of a few holidays when sales by permitted retailers are allowed. With some exceptions, retailers can market permissible fireworks for July Fourth celebrations only between June 20 and July 6.

Santa Fe County commissioners are scheduled to consider a measure at a meeting June 11, just a few days before the deadline to take action. A subsequent commission vote next month could extend the ban for another 30 days after the original one, if it passes.

The resolution would prohibit the “sale and use of missile-type rockets, helicopters, aerial spinners, stick-type rockets and ground audible devices” in unincorporated portions of Santa Fe County and in wildlands. It would limit the use of all other permissible fireworks “to areas that are paved or barren or have a readily accessible source of water for use by the homeowner or general public.”

All of Santa Fe County is in severe drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor’s Thursday report. Most of New Mexico is experiencing some level of drought, with a swath of Southern New Mexico in “extreme” and “exceptional” drought, the most severe conditions.

A memorandum from Santa Fe County Fire Marshal Jaome Blay supporting the fireworks restrictions noted there were two fires burning in the state June 3 — the Indios Fire north of Coyote and the Blue 2 Fire north of Ruidoso.

Another small fire was reported this week north of Pecos.

As indicated by federal monitoring, Blay wrote, “drought conditions are forecast to persist and deepen throughout Santa Fe County and New Mexico during the next weeks. Under these circumstances, this resolution will reduce the likelihood of an accidental human-ignited wildland fire, improve public and firefighter safety and preserve property in Santa Fe County.”

The state forester concurred with his decision to ban some fireworks, Blay wrote, “because abnormally warm temperatures, low humidity, high winds and the abundance of dry fuel material increase the chances of fire incidents.”

The city and county both moved to restrict fireworks in 2022 amid severe drought conditions, but such measures were not passed in the region during the summer of 2023.