Clark County Considers New Fireworks Regulations

By Molly Solomon (OPB)
May 8, 2018 1:11 a.m.
Legal fireworks for sale at the Big Bang tent in Sandy.

Legal fireworks for sale at the Big Bang tent in Sandy.

Southwest Washington’s Clark County is reviewing its fireworks policy ahead of the Fourth of July. And while an outright ban is unlikely, other options are still on the table.

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At a workshop session Tuesday, the Clark County council is hoping to get some direction before moving forward with any new fireworks regulations.

It comes at a time when other local jurisdictions have clamped down on fireworks. Vancouver passed an outright ban that took effect last summer. Camas and Washougal have narrowed the number of days that fireworks are allowed. And both cities can limit sales or place a temporary ban during dry seasons when fire risk is particularly high.

Clark County Councilor Julie Olson said she and her colleagues have spent the past year holding stakeholder meetings and getting feedback from residents.

At Tuesday’s workshop, councilors will hear results from a community survey that Olson said received more than 6,000 responses over the past week.

“Nobody’s looking at a county-wide ban," she said.

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Olson suggested ordinance changes might include limiting the days that fireworks can be sold or used in the county.

She’d also like to see a ban on aerial fireworks, a topic all too familiar for her. Last Fourth of July, a neighbor’s firework landed in her hedge and nearly burned down her garage.

“You cannot control where they land,” Olson said. “And you cannot control whether they’re on fire when they land.

Olson said the county wants to bring uniformity to local rules. Currently, residents who live south of Northeast 219th Street in unincorporated Clark County face stricter regulations than their neighbors to the north.

“It depends on where you live,” said Olson. “And that’s part of the problem.”

Clark County Fire Marshal Jon Dunaway agreed that one fireworks regulation for the county will greatly cut down on confusion.

“As much as we can make the fireworks laws the same, the easier it will be for people to know the rules and the easier it will be for enforcement,” Dunaway said.

The County Council has until June 28 to pass an ordinance that, if approved, would go into effect next summer.

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