People light off fireworks at Sellwood Riverfront Park in Portland, Ore., July 4, 2025. An online platform launched by Portland Fire & Rescue allowed residents to report nuisance fireworks, resulting in fewer 911 calls and faster response times.
Sarah Nairalez / OPB
Portland fire officials are touting their inaugural fireworks complaint platform as a success, after seeing a 13% reduction in 911 calls and a nearly 70% drop in emergency call answer times.
The new reporting platform launched ahead of the Fourth of July holiday to allow residents to report nuisance fireworks online.
In 2022, Portland banned all fireworks in city limits. Officials at the time said the decision was made in order to protect residents. The city has since urged Portlanders not to call 911 to report fireworks, however, many still did.
Portland Fire & Rescue spokesperson Rick Graves said on Monday the main goal of the tip line was not necessarily for taking punitive measures against violators, but rather to give residents a place to report fireworks without overwhelming emergency dispatch centers.
Graves said the average response time for 911 callers on July 4 was eight seconds in 2025, compared to 26 seconds in 2024. He said that was partly due to the new complaint form, which has collected over 4,300 reports since it launched.
Complainants using the form can report specific information about the location and time of fireworks usage. They can even drop pins on the exact houses where the fireworks were coming from.
“It looks like the online reporting tool was successful in the ability to reduce strain and stress on the dispatch center, which in turn allows our engines to respond quicker,” Graves said. “In the end game, it was a pretty good deal.”
People shoot off fireworks at Sellwood Riverfront Park on the 4th of July. Despite a citywide firework ban, PF&R has responded to 24 firework-caused fires since June 23, when legal sales began around the state.
Sarah Nairalez / OPB
Despite the citywide fireworks ban, PF&R has responded to 24 firework-caused fires since June 23, when legal sales began around the state, with eight of those fires being reported on the Fourth of July itself. Graves said those fires are under investigation.
At least one person was also cited over the weekend for using illegal fireworks.
Graves said the 4,300 fireworks complaints from this year will be compared with future data to compile heat maps and statistics on frequent-use areas. The fire department can then work in those identified areas to increase fire safety education campaigns and prevent future violations.
“It’s information that we can utilize to better make decisions in the future in hopes of reducing or eliminating the personal firework use that we know causes problems,” Graves said.
Graves said even seemingly small progress is vital to community safety.
“The firework ban didn’t stop people from utilizing fireworks,” Graves said. “But it might reduce it, and any reduction in open flame or firework use is going to increase the safety of our communities.”
