Sadly, staying away until July 7 wasn’t long enough to avoid booms and bangs in Vancouver. The noise pollution keeps going and going and going.

Fireworks users keep flirting with fire — violating an already careless, lenient fireworks law. It amazes me that in a city where homes are often just 10 feet apart, people are not only allowed but encouraged to use fireworks.

That people flee the city if they expect to get any sleep is a sign the fireworks law is not working. That 100 dogs were impounded at the Humane Society of Southwest Washington’s shelter last week — more than twice the number of dogs impounded during a typical summer week — is indicative of a problem. And if you see a sleep-deprived mother holding a crying baby up to a neighbor’s open window in the middle of the night this week, don’t say I didn’t warn you. Vancouver parents get hit hard by this law. Babies don’t sleep well to a war-zone soundtrack.

Many of us would love to flee Vancouver’s week-plus of pyrotechnics. Some do. Others stay put to keep houses from burning down and pets out of shelters. Every fireworks user considers him or herself qualified to play with fire. And even though fireworks enthusiasts wouldn’t let toddlers near a stove, some will hand them sparklers and clap like seals, beaming with pride over a child’s ability to hold a burning object. I am skeptical of their skills as I watch young men turn residential streets into some of the largest fireworks displays north of the Vancouver National Historic Reserve.

Unreasonable reduction

Speaking of the big show, if it weren’t for its reliance on firework sales, we’d probably be able to change this fireworks free-for-all. The most City Council has been willing to do is limit the fireworks season here from eight days to seven starting in 2009 (July 5 is being eliminated from the firing range).

That reduction isn’t even close to a reasonable solution, especially when the city tells citizens it won’t be as strong on enforcement. In the beginning of June, the city said tight budgets and dwindling citations caused the city to re-evaluate its approach to lawbreakers, emphasizing education over enforcement. This isn’t the first time the city has set the bar low. It’s no wonder the law is violated so often and that people find complaining useless.

Vancouver does not need eight or even seven days of fireworks. You can’t burn garbage in your yard in the city; why invite people to light moving objects in their yards? Other cities have taken the “just say no” approach. As a Columbian editorial stated Wednesday, “As of 2006, 10 of the state’s 15 largest cities ban fireworks, four restrict them to July 4th and only Vancouver has a multi-day season.” We are alone in our lunacy.

But as mentioned before, the big show thrives on amateurs’ love affair with blowing stuff up. To fix that, those who enjoy the Fourth festival at the reserve need to support it with larger donations at the gates or see the event get smaller in scope. Donations only amounted to $44,000 this year, which is less than $1 per person in attendance. (The reserve is not allowed to charge). The festivities cost $460,000 this year. More than half was funded by firework sales, per a promotional contract between a seller and the city. If fireworks for the masses are limited, that large funding stream would disappear.

It’s time to work toward a ban, however. We’ve done things the other way for too long. City residents shouldn’t feel the need to head for the hills — or any Washington city with reasonable fireworks laws, including Seattle, Tacoma, Spokane, Bellevue and Everett.