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Skamania County staff begin drafting ordinance to curb personal fireworks during high fire danger
Summary
At a Feb. 11 workshop commissioners and public-safety staff discussed a proposed county ordinance tying personal-fireworks restrictions to a daily fire-rating system and coordinating rules with cities and fire districts. Retailers and residents raised concerns about fairness, enforceability and displacement of use.
Skamania County officials and fire-safety stakeholders on Feb. 11 discussed a proposed ordinance that would restrict personal fireworks during periods of elevated wildfire risk and align county policy with local city rules.
The county workshop focused on a proposed mechanism to trigger restrictions based on a daily fire-rating system compiled by the fire marshal, which uses temperature, relative humidity, regional fuels reports and other weather variables. County staff described a plan to treat the county as two fire zones (East End and West End), divided roughly along a Dog Mountain line, and to apply ratings and restrictions by zone when conditions require.
Presenters emphasized that the measure would target personal-use fireworks during high fire-risk days, while coordinated, permitted public displays (for example, waterfront shows at the fairgrounds) would be evaluated under existing permitting and safety review processes. Fire officials and vendors said large, professionally permitted public displays are more controlled and have on-site fire apparatus and safety protocols that personal use does not.
Retail and industry representatives supported a “restriction” approach rather than an outright permanent ban and urged rules written to incorporate scientific triggers and consistent thresholds to reduce arbitrary enforcement. A retail fireworks representative told the board the business intends to work on consistent countywide safety messaging with emergency responders and said the ordinance should avoid language that could be applied inconsistently by future officials.
County staff noted that, if adopted, the ordinance would include a one-year delay before going into effect (a standard “cooling” period that would place the ordinance into effect on the first applicable date after adoption). Staff said they would draft coordinated language, return the draft for a workshop review and then follow the regular public-hearing process.
Why it matters: Personal fireworks are a frequent ignition source in wildland-urban interface areas. The proposed approach ties restrictions to objective daily fire ratings and aims to coordinate enforcement across the county and with municipalities to reduce confusion for residents and retailers.
Next steps: Commissioners directed public works and the fire marshal’s office to draft ordinance language and return it for workshop review before scheduling a public hearing. Staff also said they would work to coordinate outreach and safety messaging with retailers and fire districts.
Community reaction: Retailers and event presenters said they would continue to coordinate with fire officials on safety and public-display permitting; some vendors expressed concern that restrictions in one jurisdiction could push personal use into neighboring areas and urged countywide alignment.
