In Battle Ground, fireworks are legal for an insane eight days. I had to endure sleepless nights, danger of fire and terrified pets. Of course, they continued after the legal time ended, since no one pays attention to rules. My street was like a war zone on the Fourth — continuous house-shaking booms, huge piles of debris everywhere and likely toxic fumes filling the air. All the fireworks are made in China, not exactly the hallmark of responsible manufacturing. The smoke is likely filled with toxins.
If any one business caused all this noise and air pollution they would be shut down. I would leave town if I wasn’t afraid my house would burn to the ground. Vancouver has finally done the right thing; it is time for a complete ban encompassing all of Clark County. If fireworks are available anywhere, people will continue to act irresponsibly. They are not celebrating Independence Day, they are just blowing stuff up. In Yacolt, a firefighter was injured and a home burned. Are the powers that be waiting for a tragedy?
