Oakwood, Germantown join other local communities in banning private fireworks

OAKWOOD — People in the cities of Oakwood and Germantown will not be allowed to set off their own fireworks after city councils voted unanimously in favor of a ban.

City council members voted unanimously Monday to opt out of House Bill 172, legislation which will allow Ohioans to set off consumer-grade fireworks 20 days out of the year around certain holidays. Governor Mike DeWine signed the bill into law in November and the remainder of the act’s provisions go into effect on July 1.

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Council Member Anne Hilton stated during the meeting that due to Oakwood being almost entirely residential, the city’s Public Safety Director recommended the city opt out of the bill.

Council members stated in the ordinance that the “possession, sale or discharge of fireworks poses a significant danger to the public.”

Germantown also approved the ban on private fireworks at their city council meeting Monday.

Their ordinance reaffirms “the ban on discharging, igniting or exploding fireworks” in the city. It was approved unanimously.

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Oakwood and Germantown have become the most recent cities in the Miami Valley to ban private fireworks. Most recently, the city of Fairborn unanimously passed a similar ban.

In the past two years, Dayton and Beavercreek have also banned fireworks.

H.B. 127 permits anyone authorized to have consumer grade fireworks to set them off on their property or another person’s property with permission on New Year’s Day, Chinese New Year, Cinco de Mayo, Memorial Day weekend, Juneteenth, Fourth of July, Labor Day weekend, Diwali and New Year’s Eve.

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