Dear Butte-Silver Bow Citizens,
On behalf of the Butte-Silver Bow Local Government, I would like to take this opportunity to thank our community for their compliance with the recent emergency fireworks prohibition. As you know, we made the decision only after careful consideration of the conditions, current and forecasted weather and it was not made lightly.
While I understand that many of you disagreed with the decision, my observation was that most families complied with the ordinance and chose to do other activities and watch the Big Butte display.
It has never been nor will ever be our intent to infringe on the rights of the public except when we feel it is necessary to keep our community safe. Anyone who has ever experienced an injury or property loss due to fire knows how devastating that experience can be. Even with the restriction in place, the fire department responded to 10 vegetation fires during the three-day weekend. While not all of these fires can be traced directly to fireworks, I believe the majority were caused by their use. The spot fires on Big Butte, following the Big Butte display were indicative of the conditions present. I believe there would have been many more fires had we not imposed these restrictions.
The Butte-Silver Bow Fire Department will continue to do what is necessary to keep our community safe. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact my office.
Sincerely,
Jeffery L. Miller
Director of Fire Services