Murfreesboro Joins Cities to Temporarily Ban Fireworks

Murfreesboro Fire Marshal Ken Honeycutt tells the city council two grass fires in the last week are a result of fireworks.

Murfreesboro has joined the growing list of cities to temporarily ban the use of fireworks for the 4th of July. The city council voted unanimously Monday morning.

With such dry conditions, councilman Eddie Smotherman says it makes sense to restrict fireworks, which go up, but don’t necessarily come straight down.

“I don’t shoot fireworks, but I clean them up on the 5th of July. So, having said that – and I’m probably not going to quote Lebron James very much but I’ll go ahead and do it. It’s about damn time.”

Vendors will still be allowed to sell fireworks in Murfreesboro and the public display will go on as scheduled, though there was discussion of cancelling them both. “What’s good for the goose is good for the gander,” said Mayor Tommy Bragg.

The city’s attorney says the council could allow people to shoot their fireworks when drought conditions improve. But in the last week, the Murfreesboro fire marshal says at least two grass fires were started by fireworks.

Previously reported:

Monday morning the Murfreesboro City Council meets to consider a ban on residential fireworks. Extremely dry conditions have already led to bans in nearby LaVergne and Clarksville.

Elsie Bennett says she’s sticking with sparklers and smoke bombs because of the dry conditions.

Fireworks are illegal in Nashville, but Metro Police say this year there will be a zero-tolerance policy. That’s why Belmont University student Elsie Bennett steered clear of the Roman candles while shopping at a roadside fireworks stand Sunday night.

“I’m sticking with like sparklers and color bombs. I’m worried with we go with anything too crazy, we could wind up causing some damage.”

Aside from fireworks, blanket burn bans have been issued by the state Department of Agriculture for Cheatham, Dickson, Gibson, Giles, Marshall, Maury and Sumner counties. Violations are punishable by fines of up to $2,500 and jail time.