The Mesa County Commissioners officially ban the sale of fireworks across the unaffiliated areas of the county Monday.

The Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Emergency Management Team has imposed stage one fire restrictions banning the personal use of fireworks already.

A resolution by the commissioners passed Monday says, when those restrictions are in place, sales of fireworks are banned.

All of Mesa County is in a severe drought and has been for most of the year.

Commissioners say it’s too risky to let just anyone light them off and allow the sale.

“We have to realize that in the over all scheme of things it’s not good for the community or the county and the risk of people’s property, their lives or the wildlife.” John Justman, a Mesa County Commissioner, said.

Grand Junction and Fruita have already banned these sales.

The professional-run shows in Fruita on July 3rd and Lincoln Park on July 4th are to go on as scheduled at this time.