SAN ANTONIO -- Bexar County commissioners declared the county a disaster area Tuesday in order to ban certain fireworks from being sold ahead of the Independence Day holiday.

While commissioners said they'd like to do more to prevent a similar fire situation across the county over the New Year's holiday, its only resort was the disaster declaration, they said.

"The best thing, and I know the fireworks guys don't like hearing this, don't fire any fireworks during this season," County Commissioner Lyle Larson said.

Rockets with sticks, missiles with fins and any other fireworks with wings, propellers or blades are now banned with the commissioner court's declaration. The ban was also brought on by increasing drought conditions and a lack of sufficient rain over the past few months, commissioners said.

Fireworks will be allowed inside 10 safe zones across the county, more than double the amount open during the New Year's holiday.

"If folks decide to use fireworks anywhere outside the safe zones, then it's going to be illegal because of the local declaration of disaster," Bexar County Fire Marshal Orlando Hernandez said.

The maximum penalty for an illegal fireworks usage citation is up to 180 days in jail and a $1,000 fine.

"There's just like anything else, (0.1 percent) that goes out and does the wrong thing, unfortunately, they cause the problems," said Michael Girley of Alamo Fireworks. "But I think what the commissioners did today was harsh, but appropriate."