LA CENTER — City councilors in La Center are the latest to limit fireworks use, joining what Mayor Greg Thornton called a “countywide effort” to look at fireworks ordinances.
At their meeting on Wednesday, the councilors voted unanimously to limit fireworks discharge to July 3 and 4 and authorize the fire marshal to restrict the discharge of all fireworks in the event of unfavorable fire conditions.
Currently, the city allows fireworks use from June 29 through July 4. The new regulations will start in 2019.
La Center councilors restricting fireworks use follows similar votes in Ridgefield, Camas, Battle Ground and Clark County in recent months. Ridgefield officials voted to limit fireworks discharge to July 4, Camas councilors limited fireworks use to July 4 and Dec. 31, Battle Ground councilors voted to allow fireworks on July 3 and 4 and the Clark County Council voted to restrict fireworks use in unincorporated areas to July 4.
Some other municipalities also limited the number of days where fireworks could be sold.
La Center city councilors will continue to allow fireworks to be sold from June 28 through July 4, as councilors don’t want to negatively affect the local groups that sell fireworks as fundraisers. Daniel Kearns, the city’s attorney, said allowing fireworks sales for seven days will also ensure there is a weekend with sales every year.
Andy Taylor, a member of the La Center Lions Club, said the fireworks booth is the club’s biggest fundraiser each year. The Lions use money from the fireworks booth, as well as other fundraisers, for their scholarship program, food baskets and canned food drive.
In addition to limited fireworks windows, he said the Lions will soon have to compete with the sale of fireworks from the nearby Cowlitz Tribe.
The tribe isn’t selling fireworks yet, but is expected to start as soon as next year.
“We knew it was coming,” Taylor said. “It was inevitable. We just don’t know when. We can’t compete with what they can sell.”
Jim Irish, former La Center mayor and also a member of the La Center Lions Club, said fireworks sales were part of the discussion between the city and tribe in recent years. He said the tribe planned to wait a year or two before allowing firework sales on their reservation, and told him they didn’t want to hurt the Lions Club.
“It’s like with the gambling (at ilani),” Irish said. “They don’t have poker up there because we have it here. In cooperation, we both succeed.”
