PENDLETON — As a record-breaking drought and heat wave scorches Eastern Oregon, Umatilla County and the city of Pendleton banned fireworks as residents prepare to celebrate the Fourth of July.

The county board of commissioners made its call during an administrative meeting Wednesday morning, June 30, and the Pendleton City Council voted for its ban in a special meeting in the afternoon. Both bans come with the threat of $500 fines for violations.

The city’s resolution aligns with an executive order from the governor declaring a drought emergency in Umatilla County, meaning fireworks will be banned through Dec. 31 unless lifted earlier.

The county’s ban will last through Sept. 30, “or sooner if conditions change,” and applies to all unincorporated areas in the county and is effective immediately, Commissioner George Murdock said. The ban is to prevent wildfires in vulnerable areas where “the tiniest spark could result in a conflagration,” he added.

“We’re deeply concerned about the fire danger,” Murdock said. “It’s our job to measure issues of public safety and act when it’s necessary. And we believe we’re in the conditions right now that require unique action.”

Commissioner Dan Dorran said in the six months he has served on the county board, he has received more communications and phone calls on this issue than any other.

“The fear is real,” he said. “As a property owner, it scares the heck out of me. As a citizen it really scares me in regards to the rest of the public. It’s just an accident waiting to happen.”

Pendleton Police Chief Chuck Byram told the council that officers will approach enforcement of the fireworks ban like they do when responding to the use of illegal fireworks. Once police spot a firework in the sky, they will attempt to track down the person who set it off. He added the police intend to only fine violators if they don’t respond to a warning.

Ashland, Sandy, Portland, Tualatin, Bend, Hood River and The Dalles have implemented some form of fireworks ban, according to The Oregonian/OregonLive.

Oregon outlaws fireworks that fly, explode, travel more than 6 feet on the ground or 12 inches into the air, but officials said this doesn’t stop some residents from buying fireworks in other states and shooting them off in Oregon.

The Rotary Club of Pendleton has organized an official Fourth of July fireworks show in years past, but Byram said there will be no show this year. Pendleton joins Umatilla County and Milton-Freewater in banning local fireworks.

Milton-Freewater Fire Chief Shane Garner announced a burn ban on June 21, which includes fireworks, according to a press release from the city.

Hermiston will not ban fireworks, according to Mark Morgan, the assistant city manager. Forecasts show triple-digit temperatures in the Hermiston area throughout the next week. Since April, Hermiston has reported some of the driest conditions ever recorded, according to the National Weather Service in Pendleton.

Rather than making a formal statement cautioning people against the use of fireworks this holiday, Morgan said, the city will rely on local fire officials to encourage people to be safe.

The city is planning a fireworks show from the Hermiston Butte under contract with a licensed firework vendor. The vendor, according to Morgan, has a wind threshold and will decide with the fire marshal whether or not to cancel.

Pendleton Fire Chief Jim Critchley said officials will be on the lookout to enforce these rules.

“It’s the ones that go off illegally that we will find and we will give you citations,” he said. “Those are the ones that are going to cause problems and burn down a house or burn down a field. That’s what I dread.”

Critchley and Jimmy Davis, the operations chief for Umatilla County Fire District 1, which covers Stanfield and Hermiston, said they are concerned for the firefighters working through the extreme heat.

“Fortunately, we haven’t had any major fire calls yet,” said Davis. “But this is the kind of weather where we start losing firemen very quick too, when it gets this hot.”

Davis and Critchley each said the fire departments will increase staffing over the weekend.

“Of all the weeks I spend worrying about that world, this is the one I worry the most about,” Critchley said. “I worry about the heat, I worry about the fires and having enough resources to get in front of a fire when it starts.”

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East Oregonian reporter Antonio Sierra contributed to this feature.