Firework season is once again underway in Oregon, as the state’s annual 14-day legal purchasing window opened Tuesday. But fire officials are urging residents to leave fireworks to the experts, citing ongoing safety concerns amid a searing drought.
The warning comes ahead of the Fourth of July, when the risk of fire typically spikes. This year, those concerns are heightened by dry conditions and a statewide drought, increasing the potential for wildfires.
This year, while Oregonians can legally purchase fireworks from June 23-July 6, not all types are legal and their use is also restricted in many locations across the state.
Legal fireworks must remain on the ground and cannot travel more than a foot into the air without a permit. Fireworks that exceed those limits, including bottle rockets, Roman candles and firecrackers, are illegal.
Oregon State Parks and Recreation officials are reminding visitors that fireworks are strictly prohibited within state parks and along the coast. Fireworks are also prohibited on all public lands, including national parks, forests and Bureau of Land Management lands.
Instead, officials encourage residents to head to one of dozens of firework shows taking place over the holiday weekend.
“Just one rogue spark can create a wildfire,” OPRD Emergency Manager Jamen Lee said in a news release. “We work closely with our local partners to minimize the risk of fires and ask that visitors follow any fire restrictions.”
Rogue fireworks have been responsible for numerous injuries, deaths and wildfires in recent years, including the 2017 Eagle Creek fire in the Columbia River Gorge, which burned 50,000 acres.
Fireworks pose an especially big risk this summer, with nearly 87% of the state facing drought conditions, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor, making for peak wildfire conditions.
State park officials are also reminding visitors to clean up after themselves, pointing to the thousands of pounds of firework debris and trash collected from Oregon parks and beaches each year after the holiday.
“We ask that visitors respect fireworks restrictions and clean up after their celebrations to protect Oregon state parks and the ocean shore,” said Laurel Hillmann, ocean shore resource coordinator at the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department, in the release.
While legal for purchase, individual cities have passed citywide firework bans, including Portland, Eugene and Bend.
Firework violations on state land and within city limits can result in Class B misdemeanor charges, with fines reaching up to $2,500.
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