Latah County Commissioners on Wednesday said residents should exercise caution in their Fourth of July celebrations this year but stopped short of banning the use of fireworks in portions of the county they have jurisdiction.

Commissioners discussed a potential ban on fireworks and other open fires because of unusually high temperatures and dry conditions. Despite the current heat wave, representatives from the Idaho Department of Lands said conditions are not quite as fire-ripe as they might seem.

While temperatures have been extreme for the past few days, Idaho Department of Lands Fire Warden Jason Svancara told gathered commissioners there is still enough green foliage and moisture in the county’s wildlands to keep fire risk lower than it might seem. Svancara said the risk is still higher than is typical for this time of year but “If folks exercise good judgment, then we probably won’t have issues.”

“I don’t want to diminish the importance of caution — we are a lot drier than we are historically this time of year,” Svancara said. “But if you compare this more to late July in a normal year, our fire danger is just starting to really get to a point where it’s critical. We’re right there, but we’re not there yet.”

During Wednesday’s meeting, it became clear commissioners only have authority over such matters in the unincorporated areas of the county where the boundaries of cities and fire districts end. Commissioners pointed out much of the county is controlled by these agencies, or is owned by the state or federal government, meaning any rules they issue would be limited to narrow slivers of county land that fall between other jurisdictions.

County Prosecutor Bill Thompson was quick to note “safe and sane” fireworks like sparklers and fountains are legal in Idaho. He said aerial fireworks like bottle rockets and roman candles, as well as mortars, require special permits from the city, fire district or county depending on where they’re used. While possession of these fireworks is not a crime, he said using them without a permit is a misdemeanor.

Latah County Sheriff Richie Skiles said deputies typically only receive complaints about illegal fireworks. He said in a given year, his office receives calls complaining of fireworks for two to three weeks after Independence Day before they begin to die down again.

While he and his deputies often advise people to keep water nearby and observe basic safety protocols, Skiles said people are usually reasonably careful.

“We don’t typically issue a lot of citations, normally what we will do is if we show up and they have bottle rockets, we confiscate the fireworks that are illegal,” Skiles said. “If we come back to the same house you’ll likely get a citation, even if it’s not the same night.”

In Whitman County, rural fire districts 12 and 14 have issued burn bans on all open fires except those used for cooking in contained devices like a barbecue.

In a joint press release issued by the City of Pullman, and the Pullman police and fire departments, the agencies “strongly discouraged” residents from lighting any fireworks this year, citing unusually dry conditions.

The release acknowledged unless the governor declares a state of emergency, there is no legal mechanism to ban fireworks at the local level in Washington.

Jackson can be reached at (208) 883-4636, or by email to sjackson@dnews.com.