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Young girl holding a lit sparkler.

Hand holding a lit firework.

Bans on the buying and selling of fireworks are spreading across the Puget Sound region, and next year, King County will ban all fireworks — including sparklers and smoke bombs — for the entire county. Officials instead encourage attending organized, professional shows.

Fireworks are beautiful, and a great way to celebrate holidays, but they can cause more harm than good. So much so, that the King County Council issued a county-wide ban on all fireworks, including unincorporated parts of King County, in April.

“While there are plenty of good reasons to support a full ban on consumer fireworks, I am driven by the tragic loss of life and property in White Center in 2019,” King County Councilmember Joe McDermott said in a news release in April. “It is past time for King County to do what most cities and parks have already done. People in unincorporated King County deserve the same protections as those living in cities.”

The issue doesn’t go into effect until next year, but with the dry spring and extreme heat Washington has already faced this summer, many cities that usually permit fireworks for the holiday are changing their regulations.

Mercer Island — which usually permits fireworks on the Fourth of July from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. — issued a statement on Tuesday following June’s record-breaking heat weekend. The statement included a fireworks ban for the city. Punishment could result in as much as criminal prosecution or excessive fines.

"We’re facing unprecedented risk and we need to ensure the safety of our community above all else," Fire Chief Jeff Clark said in the announcement. "If folks were to light fireworks during this time, small fires could quickly turn into major incidents across the island and overwhelm the department. This order tempers this unnecessary risk, protecting our homes, our neighbors, and our firefighters."

Fourth of July fireworks over a lake.

In 2020, the Washington State Fire Marshall’s Office received nearly 600 reports of firework-related incidents. Of the 597 reports in total, 237 were injuries and 360 were fires caused by fireworks. Further broken down, 88 of the injuries were caused by being hit by a firework or its debris, and 109 were classified as burns. Despite New Year’s also being a big fireworks holiday, Washington State Patrol says that the majority of firework-related emergencies occur on the Fourth of July.

Washington State Patrol is encouraging people to view organized, professional fireworks shows instead of setting off their own as a safer alternative. Some cities that are banning fireworks this year are providing professional shows, like Kirkland and Edmonds. A full list of shows around the Seattle area can be found here. 

If you are in an area that permits the discharge of fireworks and intend to do so, it’s important to remember safety tips. WSP says to only buy legal fireworks, keep water nearby, and keep pets inside. Also, never light fireworks in your hand, and never let children light fireworks — only adults. And remember to clean up properly when you’re done, soaking remnants in water before throwing them in a bin.

Auburn Allowed to discharge from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 4th

Enumclaw Allowed to discharge from 9 a.m to 11 p.m. on July 4th

Normandy Park Allowed to discharge from 6 p.m. to 11 p.m. on July 3rd and 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. on July 4th

Snoqualmie Allowed to discharge from 9 a.m. to midnight on July 4th

Young boy holding two Fourth of July sparklers at dusk.

Algona Bellevue Bothell Burien Carnation Covington Des Moines Federal Way Issaquah Kent Kirkland Mercer Island North Bend Redmond Renton Seattle

Before choosing to set off fireworks, check your city’s website to see what this year’s regulations are. Even if you think you know, they could have changed from last year or during Seattle's extreme heat wave this week. 

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Lindsey Kirschman is a web producer for the SeattlePI.