Tri-Cities has seen enough fires, injuries. It’s time to ban recreational fireworks | Editorial

Record-breaking July Fourth fire emergencies this year should serve as a wake-up call for Tri-Cities leaders.

Recreational fireworks pose an unacceptable threat to safety, well-being and the environment. Local governments should join other Washington communities in banning the sale and use of consumer fireworks.

The Pasco Fire Department responded to a record 86 calls in 24 hours around Independence Day, more than triple the normal call volume. Fifty-four of those calls were for fires, all believed to have been started by fireworks.

Fireworks kept emergency responders busy in other communities, too. Kennewick responded to a dozen fires in just six hours on July 4th. A fire burned two acres near Finley. A West Richland man suffered severe burns when he fell through a burning roof while fighting a blaze possibly caused by fireworks. Other people received smaller injuries.

Three consecutive years of drought has the region at high risk of wildfire. This is the new normal as climate change leads to weather extremes. The historically dry Mid-Columbia is now even more vulnerable to fire.

Responding to all of those incidents weighs on local governments that are already financially strained. Taxpayers must bear the cost of increasing staffing and paying overtime. Worse, the public risks not having emergency services available if some other tragedy unfolds while responders are dealing with a fireworks-caused fire.

Recreational fireworks create dangers beyond fires and injuries. Explosives in neighborhoods can traumatize veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. They disrupt sleep for children, shift workers and the elderly. And they frighten pets, increasing the risk of runaways.

Wildlife and ecosystems suffer as well. Birds abandon nests during critical breeding periods. Marine animals consume toxic debris that accumulates in waterways. Trash containing harmful chemicals litters public spaces.

State law places some guardrails on when and what kind of fireworks people may use recreationally. Basically, Washingtonians can launch fireworks that aren’t outrageously dangerous around the Fourth and New Years.

State law also empowers localities to adopt more stringent standards up to outright bans both on sales and use. Most local governments have established at least modestly stricter rules than the state. Ordinances typically forbid some aerial fireworks, smoke bombs, Roman candles and more.

But then there’s West Richland. The city of about 19,000 residents had 16 permitted fire stands this year compared with just nine in Kennewick, six in Richland and four in Pasco. Why the discrepancy? Because “All Fireworks that are legal in the State of Washington are also legal in the City Limits of the City of West Richland only,” according to the city’s website.

Anyone who can’t buy their chosen fireworks in Kennewick, Richland or Pasco can drive over to West Richland to find what they want. Even if West Richland got on board, fireworks enthusiasts could drive to Oregon, Idaho or a nearby tribal reservation or find a shady seller online. In fact, that already happens. A lot of the fireworks launched in backyards during the past couple of weeks weren’t bought locally and are illegal otherwise.

Stopping sales won’t be enough, then. Localities also must forbid use. Enforcement would be difficult, but we hope that most people are law-abiding.

A few citations issued to those who ignore the law might convince others to follow the rules. At least a complete ban would make enforcement easier because police would no longer have to figure out whether a particular firework is allowed or not. They could just confiscate what they find.

The problem is that state law mandates that communities wait a full year before enforcing new limits on fireworks. State lawmakers could help by shortening the advance notice to six or even three months.

In any event, if it’s already too late for 2026, local city councils and county commissions have time for hearings and debate before the 2027 deadline. Act now, while the memory of this year’s fireworks damage is fresh.

Communities can continue to accept preventable fires, injuries, disruptions and environmental damage yearly or they can follow the lead of other localities that have prioritized public safety over private pyrotechnics. Real patriots follow the law, care about the neighbors and leave fireworks to the professionals.