Effective immediately, Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear has issued an emergency disaster declaration for the City of Noblesville. The Hamilton County Commissioners have also issued a similar emergency disaster declaration. These declarations are being issued pursuant to Indiana Code 10-14-3-1 which applies to several types of disasters including drought.
Dangerous drought conditions continue to plaque the area and no significant rainfall is predicted to occur in the next several days. Therefore, with the authority given to the Hamilton County Commissioners and Ditslear by the emergency disaster declarations, the usage of all consumer fireworks is now banned the City of Noblesville and Noblesville Township. Per the declaration, open burning continues to be banned. This includes bonfires, fire pits and chimineas. Use of a gas or charcoal grill for cooking purposes is still acceptable; however, residents must allow charcoal to cool in the grill and then douse it completely with water and responsibly dispose of it afterwards.
Citizens may report violations of the consumer fireworks usage ban and the open burn ban by calling the Noblesville Dispatch Center’s non-emergency line at 773-1300. This number is available 24 hours a day and seven days a week. As always, in the case of a fire or other emergency, call 911.
As of now, these declarations do not affect Noblesville’s scheduled professional fireworks display for Wednesday, July 4. Public displays conducted by professional fireworks companies that have been issued permits by the State of Indiana and the local fire chief will be allowed to continue should he approve such a display. However, Ditslear, Fire Chief Ken Gilliam and Noblesville Fire Department personnel are continuing to monitor the situation on a daily basis and notification to the public will be announced if the decision is made to postpone or cancel Noblesville’s show. If the show is held, then additional precautions over and above those taken during each year’s fireworks display will be in effect.
Regardless of the status of the city’s fireworks display on the Fourth of July 4, the parade will still begin that day at 5 p.m. and the festival will still take place on the grounds of Noblesville High School from 6 to 10 p.m.