Fireworks discharge ban continues in City of Sequim

By Matthew Nash • June 26, 2019 1:30 am
This year, only one fireworks booth so far is going up in the City of Sequim from June 28-July 5. City of Sequim fireworks’ ordinance allows up to four booths to sell fireworks despite the discharge of fireworks being banned. Sequim Gazette file photo by Matthew Nash
This year, only one fireworks booth so far is going up in the City of Sequim from June 28-July 5. City of Sequim fireworks’ ordinance allows up to four booths to sell fireworks despite the discharge of fireworks being banned. Sequim Gazette file photo by Matthew Nash

For the second consecutive year, the Fourth of July should be fairly quiet over Sequim skies.

This summer marks a continuation of the ban for residents to discharge fireworks in Sequim city limits following a November 2016 advisory vote. Residents voted 65.6 percent in favor of city councilors passing an ordinance to ban the discharge of fireworks, which councilors did soon thereafter.

Sequim joins the cities of Port Angeles and Port Townsend in continuing a ban on discharging fireworks.

However, Sequim allows as many as four fireworks booths to sell Washington state-approved fireworks in city limits from June 28-July 5.

Prior to a community vote, city councilors sought a ban on discharges fireworks but said they didn’t want to impact nonprofits who sell fireworks.

As of Monday, June 24, only one nonprofit has registered to sell fireworks in city limits: Sequim Vineyard, who will sell wares in Sequim Walmart parking lot.

The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, one of the Sequim area’s biggest fireworks sellers, stopped selling fireworks from its booth after the building was converted for construction needs for its new hotel/resort project.

Residents in unincorporated Clallam County are allowed to use legal consumer fireworks noon-11 p.m. Friday, June 28, 9 a.m.-11 p.m. June 29-July 3, 9 a.m.-midnight July 4 and 9 a.m.-11 p.m. July 5.

In 2018, Sequim Police Department received 18 fireworks-related calls July 4-5 in city limits. One resident who called in four times unknowingly reported the fireworks were in city limits but it was found to be in unincorporated Clallam County.

Staff Sgt. Sean Madison of the Sequim Police Department said everyone with whom officers interacted during last year’s Fourth of July fireworks-related activities complied.

Madison said those incidents centered mostly on “a lot of small stuff — kids with safe and sane fireworks.”

Assistant Chief Tony Hudson with Clallam County Fire District 3 reported that fire crews responded to one fireworks-related brush fire on July 4, but the small fire was quickly extinguished.

County ordinance update

The Peninsula Daily News reports Clallam County Commissioners continue to investigate options for containing fireworks-related issues, including banning them during an elevated fire dangers.

Commissioners met with fire chiefs from Sequim and Port Angeles during a workshop on June 17 where fire chiefs said they don’t see enough firework-related fires to justify a ban.

Sam Phillips, Clallam County Fire District 2 Fire Chief, said in five years they’ve responded to seven fireworks-related calls.

He recommended that a threshold for fireworks restriction should come when the Department of Natural Resources sets the fire danger level at “high.”

Fire Chief Ben Andrews reported to District 3 fire commissioners on June 18 that he didn’t take a position on the fire danger level standards because he “can’t make a position based on what we see in the field” and that is should be “scientifically-based.”

A day prior, Andrews told county commissioners fireworks didn’t pose a larger threat than other fire sources.

According to data Andrews provided, Region 1 — consisting of Clallam, Kitsap and Jefferson counties — saw 5,801 fire-related incidents in the last five years. Of that, 153 incidents, or 2.6 percent, were fireworks-related.

In the last five years, Fire District 3 (Sequim area) fire crews responded to 507 fire-related calls with only eight, or 1.6 percent, of those related to fireworks.

Additionally, none of those fireworks-related calls caused any property loss to homeowners, Andrews said. The largest fireworks-related fire came on July 5, 2014 for a one acre grass fire while the rest were significantly smaller grass fires and one 10-foot tree.

District 3 Fire Commissioner Steve Chinn said he liked using scientific data for any potential bans and that if “DNR has standards then it’s something you can at least hang your hat on.”

City of Sequim officials say fireworks-related violations are not typically an emergency, and that dialing 9-1-1 is for emergencies only.

Those who suspect a fireworks violation should call Sequim Police’s non-emergency line at 360-683-7227.

Reach Matthew Nash at mnash@sequimgazette.com.