This is how many fires illegal fireworks started in Pasco on July 4

Illegal fireworks touched off 11 grass fires, three structure fires and five miscellaneous fires in Pasco during prime fireworks hours this past Independence Day.

Pasco is watching the numbers this year after the city council voted to lift its 22-year ban on most fireworks, allowing safe-and-sane types to be sold.

It hoped the move would allow law enforcement to focus more on the more dangerous varieties that shoot in the air.

The preliminary numbers suggest activity was higher without the ban in place, but city officials caution that it's too early to determine if the move worked.

The Pasco Fire Department said it responded to twice as many calls this year as last, though it is still investigating the official cause of some fires.

In one case, a home was scorched after spent fireworks were piled near the house.

Fire officials say spent fireworks should be soaked in a five-gallon container of water for at least 24 hours before being put in the garbage.

Another fire near Sacajawea State Park is suspected to have started from aerial fireworks.

The window to shoot fireworks closed Thursday night.

The Pasco City Council will review this year's Fourth of July celebrations when it meets Monday.

Fire officials are pulling data from the past five years to see if the mission to reduce overall activity succeeded.

The city wrote in its news release that it took its numbers from fires started between 6 p.m. and 3 a.m., which it said were prime fireworks shooting hours.

"Preliminarily, it appears that the city council's decision to lift the ban on the use of fireworks that do not have aerial effects or explode allowed for many families to enjoy a modest display without incident," Pasco City Manager Dave Zabell said in a statement.

But plenty of citizens took to Facebook to complain it only made things worse.

Residents reported more open use of illegal fireworks, traumatizing pets through the night.

Several commenters complained neighborhoods became war zones and asked for the ban to be reinstated.

But others thanked the city for making it easier to celebrate the Fourth of July without leaving their homes and neighborhoods.

The council's workshop session begins at 7 p.m. at Pasco city hall, 525 N. Third Ave. Meetings are shown live on PSC-TV (Charter channel 191 in Pasco) and online on the city's web site.

This story was originally published July 5, 2018 at 5:49 PM.