This three-day Fourth of July weekend provides plenty of opportunities to celebrate U.S. independence with an escape into nature or by blasting off some fireworks — but not always at the same time.
Fireworks and exploding targets aren’t allowed on federal public lands year-round, regardless of weather conditions or holidays, the Forest Service said. To eliminate any potential for wildfires, even small fireworks such as sparklers or firecrackers are prohibited.
“We ask all visitors to the Gifford Pinchot National Forest to be extra careful with anything that could start a fire,” said Deb Roy, Gifford Pinchot National Forest fire staff officer. “A seemingly harmless sparkler, as well as the bigger combustible devices like rockets and roman candles can start a fire, and we want all visitors to enjoy being out on their public lands without the threat of wildfires.”
Officials with the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will be out over the weekend enforcing the fireworks bans in Washington state parks, too. They’ll be especially focused on coastal beaches.
In an attempt to protect the Long Beach Peninsula from Fourth of July revelers, the parks commission is partnering with several state and local agencies to remind people of their stewardship responsibilities with a campaign called Beach-Friendly Fourth on the Long Beach Peninsula. Last year, roughly 100,000 people flocked to Long Beach for the holiday weekend, leaving behind about 34 tons of garbage. Visitors also flouted the laws against camping and last summer’s burn ban.
“Even though the joint campaign is focused on Long Beach, the messages about beach behavior apply to all the beaches,” Virginia Painter, communications director for the parks commission, wrote in an email. “It’s just that the Long Beach community was particularly engaged and committed to working on their area this year.”
The campaign is designed to remind people not to camp on the beach but to use established campgrounds or hotels for overnight stays instead. It also urges visitors to use restrooms, not the dunes, to relieve themselves. Visitors also should respect burn bans, if in place, and keep fires 100 feet away from dunes and vegetation. Finally, fireworks are only allowed from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. from Saturday through July 3, and from 9 a.m. to midnight on Independence Day.
This year, extra personnel will be on site to enforce the rules. Volunteers also will walk around and hand out trash bags and flyers to remind people of those rules.
According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2013, fireworks caused about 15,600 reported fires in the U.S.
