Fireworks are dangerous to people and to pets. Using them also puts your property and neighborhood at risk.

The possession and use of any class or kind of fireworks in our area is illegal! According to the Revised Code of Washington (RCW 70.77), the possession, use and discharge of fireworks is a Misdemeanor, subject to imprisonment, fines/civil penalties, damages, and court costs, including investigative and attorneys’ fees.

Fireworks cause thousands of injuries each year, including devastating burns, trauma, abrasions, amputations, and even death. It is important to know that the individual injured was not always the individual using the fireworks. The arm/hand/finger and face/head/eye were the top two areas of the body injured by fireworks. Even sparklers are dangerous as they can reach 1,200^oF (glass melts at 900^oF) and cause full-thickness (3^rd degree) burns.

Fireworks can also cause fires resulting in deaths and injuries, as well as direct property damage. Sixty percent of the fires caused by fireworks were vegetation fires, such as, brush fires, grass fires and forest fires. With our area experiencing the driest spring since 1881, it is extremely important that we all reduce the fire risks to limit the potential of devastating wildland fires this Fourth of July.

To report illegal fireworks, call Crime Check: 509-456-2233.

Call 9-1-1, for an emergency (if it involves a fire or an injury).