With ban in place, fireworks start fewer Portland-area blazes

Portland Fire & Rescue officials say fires caused by Fourth of July fireworks in the city went way down this year.

From June 23 through July 6 of last year, 44 fires were started by fireworks in Portland. During the same period this year, that number dropped to nine.

That’s about an 80% decrease.

These are the preliminary numbers, and some investigations are still underway. But the citywide ban on fireworks appears to have been extremely effective.

Fire officials thanked Portland residents for mostly adhering to the fireworks ban. They say limiting potential fires is especially important during this unprecedented dry period.