Reno County Commissioners approved new restrictions on fireworks that prohibit any fireworks that emit flaming balls or shoot sparks more than 6 feet, and ban aerial luminaries, or sky lanterns, and shortened by one hour the hours fireworks may be sold or discharged.

The new rules are the same as those recently passed by the Hutchinson City Council. County commissioners briefly considered an exception for some rural residents but chose not to after hearing from Hutchinson Fire Chief Kim Forbes. Forbes says the regulations let people get a permit for a “commercial public” fireworks display if it is supervised by someone holding a fireworks operator’s license and have $500,000 in liability insurance.

The action comes after fire crews were over run with fire calls during the past Independence Day holiday which included a fire than destroyed a home and its contents. Total loss in the blaze was in excess of a half million dollars.

Also Tuesday The board approved, in a split vote, to adopt a special use permit that will allow a petroleum company to build a new loading facility east of the city, along the BSNF rail line.

The action comes one day after the county planning board held a public hearing that was full of objections to the new loading terminal. Many cited concerns ranging from explosion and fire due to lightning, to terrorist attacks. The facility will load rail tank cars with various products after they are shipped via pipe line from storage facilities in Conway.