Fireworks 101: Safety first

When to buy and set off fireworks

Vancouver

• Sold: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 2-4.

• Discharged: 9 a.m. to midnight July 4.

Camas

• Sold: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 1-3; 9 a.m. to midnight July 4; 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. July 5.

• Discharged: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 1 to July 3; 9 a.m. to midnight July 4.

Washougal

• Sold: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 2-3; 9 a.m. to midnight July 4.

• Discharged: 9 a.m. to midnight July 4.

Battle Ground

• Sold: noon to 11 p.m. June 28; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 29 to July 3; 9 a.m. to midnight July 4; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 5.

• Discharged: noon to 11 p.m. June 28; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 29 to July 3; 9 a.m. to midnight July 4; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 5.

Ridgefield

• Sold: noon to 11 p.m. June 28; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 29 to July 3; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 4; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 5.

• Discharged: noon to 11 p.m. June 28; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 29 to July 3; 9 a.m. to midnight July 4; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 5.

La Center

• Sold: noon to 10 p.m. June 28; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 29 to July 3; 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 4; 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 5.

• Discharged: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. June 29 to July 3; 10 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 4.

Woodland

• Sold: noon to 11 p.m. June 28; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 29 to July 3; 9 a.m. to midnight July 4; 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 5.

• Discharged: noon to 11 p.m. June 28; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 29 to July 3; 9 a.m. to midnight July 4; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 5.

Unincorporated Clark County, Amboy, Yacolt

• Sold: Noon to 11 p.m. June 28; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 29 to July 4.

• Discharged: Noon to 11 p.m. June 28; 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. June 29 to July 3; 9 a.m. to midnight July 4.

Microchip keeps track of your pets

The Humane Society for Southwest Washington is holding a licensing and microchipping event to help reunite owners with pets that run away during fireworks.

The Protect Your Pet event, held in collaboration with Good Neighbor Vet, will be from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Humane Society’s ReTails Thrift Store, 5000 E. Fourth Plain Blvd.

“Many animals are frightened by loud noises, and July 4 is the day when we take in the most lost animals,” Lisa Feder, director of shelter operations, stated in a press release.

The Humane Society also offers licensing and microchip services from noon to 6 p.m. every Tuesday through Saturday in the shelter’s admissions area.

In addition, the Humane Society’s admissions department will be open July 4 until 4 p.m. to help care for lost or runaway animals. The adoptions center and thrift store will be closed July 4.

For more information about pet licensing and microchipping, go to www.southwesthumane.org or call 360-693-4746.

There’s something about the prospect of blowing things up that makes level-headed people regress into Beavis- and Butthead-like pyromaniacs.

“Fire! Fire! Fire!”

“Heh heh heh. That was cool.” (Google it, kids.)

With fireworks going on sale Sunday in Clark County in the middle of a heat wave, it’s time to revisit a few rules, warnings and safety tips. Deputy fire marshals will be ramping up patrols this year in Vancouver, where the only day fireworks may be shot off is July 4. People who use fireworks inside city limits on days other than July 4 face fines starting at $250. (See chart for full list of when it’s legal to buy and discharge fireworks throughout Clark County.)

One of the most important things Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli wants people to know: It’s not only illegal to modify fireworks so they’re louder and flashier, it’s also extremely dangerous. Follow the instructions on the packaging.

Scarpelli recalls the time a 17-year-old Vancouver boy made a “sparkler bomb” out of legal fireworks and sparklers. He blew off his right hand and lost some fingers on his left hand.

“It was a horrible thing,” she said.

People who get busted altering fireworks or using illegal fireworks face a minimum fine of $500 and possibly a criminal citation, she said.

A few examples of reckless behavior she’s seen locally over the years: teenagers waging Roman candle wars with each other, sending a stray fireball into an open garage and ultimately burning down the house. Teenagers firing Roman candles across roadways to see cars swerve. Adults handing 1,200-degree sparklers to young children, who manage to burn their hands and faces. People bagging up their smouldering fireworks debris, taking it into the house and putting it in the kitchen trash, where a fire starts. (Soak spent fireworks in a bucket of water overnight. See list of safety tips.)

“These are the kinds of things that are preventable,” Scarpelli said. “Watch that alcohol use. That impairment can lead to bad decisions when lighting fireworks.”

Mother Nature is making this fireworks season even more volatile. Gov. Jay Inslee declared a statewide drought emergency May 15, citing a dismal snowpack and unusually warm temperatures. The lack of moisture results in plenty of fuel to burn when stray sparks land. Therefore, Scarpelli advises people to use some forethought about where the fireworks they’re shooting will end up. Last year, there were 28 fires related to fireworks from June 28 to July 5.

“I am extremely concerned about this fireworks season,” Scarpelli said. “It’s not the typically Fourth of July in the Pacific Northwest, where it’s summer after the Fourth of July. … With the excessive dry, hot weather conditions, it’s just a dangerous combination unless safety measures are adhered to.”

Due to the fire danger, the state Department of Natural Resources issued a burn ban Monday for all Washington state forests, state parks and forestlands under state protection. Clark County also banned outdoor burning, joining burn bans already in place in Skamania and Cowlitz counties. The burn ban does not include small recreational campfires in fire pits lined with metal, stone or masonry. For more information, contact the Clark County Fire Marshal’s office at 360-397-2186 or go to www.clark.wa.gov/development/fire/burning/html.

In addition, the federal bureau of Land Management has banned the use of fireworks and exploding targets on all BLM-managed lands in Washington and Oregon until Oct. 15. Violators face fines of up to $1,000, a one-year prison term, or both. People found responsible for starting wildfires could be billed for the damage and the cost of fighting the fire, which could range from hundred of thousands to millions of dollars, according to a press release from the State Fire Marshal.

Given the heightened risks this year, Vancouver has enhanced its fireworks patrol team of deputy fire marshals. They will educate people about fireworks safety and write citations for curfew violations, setting off fireworks in a park or using illegal fireworks. Fines for violators are $250 to $500. Last year, the city of Vancouver issued 47 citations.

Call 911 for complaints about the use of fireworks outside of the allowed hours, reckless or dangerous use of fireworks or use of illegal fireworks. People should not call 911 to report noise complaints July 4 during legal use hours, Scarpelli said.

The safest thing people can do is leave the fireworks to the professionals, she said. Fort Vancouver’s show is one of the best in the Pacific Northwest, and this year it will feature the larger 5-inch shells that will soar up to 500 feet high from Pearson Field, with a spread of 500 feet. The fireworks show begins at 10:05 p.m., but gates open at 8 a.m. with activities and entertainment starting at noon. Tickets are on sale online at www.fortvan.org/fourth and at Fred Meyer for $5 in advance and $7 at the gate. Kids 12 and younger get in free.

For more information about fireworks safety, public fireworks displays and fireworks laws, go to www.wsp.wa.gov/fire/fireworks.htm

Fireworks facts

By the numbers

Learning from past mistakes — Fireworks damage in 2014 statewide:

• 432: Number of fireworks-related injuries and fires reported statewide by hospitals and fire departments.

• Men ages 36 and older: Demographic with the highest number of injuries.

• $320,240: Amount of damage and property loss as a result of 155 fires caused by fireworks.

• 66: Number of injuries caused by devices illegal in Washington.

• 8, 6 and 2: Eight illegal sparkler bombs caused six multiple-trauma injuries and two fires. Injuries included metal puncture wounds, burns, tearing of the hands and face, chest and leg trauma.

Source: Office of the State Fire Marshal

Illegal fireworks

To ensure your fireworks are legal, buy them at local dealer that has been approved by the Clark County Fire Marshal. Many fireworks banned in the county and state are available in other states and on some reservations. It’s illegal to possess or discharge firecrackers, salutes, chasers, skyrockets, bottle rockets, M-80s, M-1000s and homemade devices. Possession is a felony and can result in fines up to $1,000 and/or 90 days in jail.

The “three B’s” of fireworks safety

• Be prepared — Have water nearby and put pets indoors.

• Be safe — Only adults should light fireworks.

• Be responsible — Clean up fireworks debris.

Other fireworks safety tips

• Never use fireworks inside a home. Set them off on a driveway or sidewalk.

• Don’t consume alcohol or drugs while using fireworks.

• Don’t let young children play with fireworks.

• Have a hose or bucket nearby.

• Never point or shoot fireworks at anyone.

• Use common sense. Spectators should remain a safe distance away, and the shooter should wear safety glasses.

• Be aware of other people around you and make sure they’re out of range.

• Don’t try to reignite a dud. It could explode near your hands or face.

• Only light one at a time.

• Don’t try to make your own fireworks.

• Soak fireworks overnight, then place in a trash bag and deposit in an outdoor trash can.

• Keep pets indoors with curtains and windows closed. Be sure their collars are secure and license tags are current. If your pet goes missing, check with the Humane Society for Southwest Washington at 360-693-4746.

Source: Office of the State Fire Marshal and Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency