Amid increasing complaints, it is apparent that Clark County’s fireworks issue is continuing to blow up. More work is required to coordinate laws at the local or state level and to improve public education.
In the meantime, kudos are warranted for the Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office for improved enforcement this year. The office issued 32 citations of $500 each for the use of fireworks surrounding the Fourth of July holiday. Investigators also confiscated fireworks in 34 instances, with The Columbian reporting, “including some when the suspects fled from responders and abandoned their unused fireworks.”
This marks an improvement from 2022, when the office focused on educating violators and issued no citations. As The Columbian wrote editorially at the time, “What good is a rule if it is not enforced? … Failing to enforce the law is akin to a police officer shouting at a fleeing suspect, ‘Stop! Or I’ll yell ‘stop!’ again.’ The rule of law loses its power when it is easily ignored.”
The law in the city of Vancouver is clear. As the city government’s website explains: “No, fireworks are NOT legal in the City of Vancouver. — This is a complete ban that includes all types of fireworks.”
That ban has been in place since 2016. Many scofflaws have ignored it since then, with the explosions from personal fireworks echoing in nearly every neighborhood of the city for several nights surrounding the Fourth of July.
Confusion about the law is somewhat understandable. Unincorporated portions of Clark County and other cities throughout the region have differing laws governing fireworks, typically allowing them to be set off during evening hours leading up to the Fourth and on the holiday. Residents should be aware of their local laws — but if those laws are not enforced, those residents realistically have no need to be informed.
Enforcement of the law is not about enacting an oppressive police state or turning fire officials into the fireworks police. It is about protecting our community from the risks of fireworks and following regulations put in place by officials who have been elected to follow the will of their constituents.
The risks are evident; agencies throughout the county responded to 30 fires caused by fireworks between June 28 and July 16. The Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office reported six fires in the days surrounding the holiday that caused nearly $1 million in damage, including the destruction of a home near Yacolt. Meanwhile, 1,492 complaints about fireworks were registered through a countywide call center or online complaint form.
That leads to questions facing our community. Should Clark County governments strive for similar fireworks laws, providing some uniformity? And should the Legislature get involved?
In reality, fireworks regulations should be left to local jurisdictions, allowing governments to reflect their communities while paying attention to fire risks and personal safety. The Revised Code of Washington already includes 85 laws governing fireworks, mostly related to definitions and the sale of pyrotechnics; more statewide laws are unlikely to be beneficial.
But some consistency throughout Clark County would be helpful, making it easier for constituents to understand the law and for officials to enforce it.
Whether that requires a vote of the people for local governments to adopt similar regulations remains to be seen. But regardless of which fireworks laws are in place in various locales, they should be enforced — lest they lose their effectiveness.
