Excessive heat has led to a ban on the sale and use of fireworks in unincorporated parts of Clark County.
In a news release on June 29, the county announced that fireworks could not be sold or discharged for this year’s Fourth of July holiday. According to the release, through consultation with the Clark County fire marshal, county council chair Eileen Quiring O’Brien prohibited the sale and use based on significant risk factors.
The burning index for the county has been determined “extreme,” the release stated.
“We’ve had an unusually dry spring for the Pacific Northwest,” Clark County Fire Marshal Dan Young said in the release. “That coupled with a record-breaking heat wave led to conditions that increase our fire danger risk in Clark County.”
The county’s decision to ban fireworks follows a number of other jurisdictions, including Battle Ground, Ridgefield, and La Center. The ban does not affect the use of fireworks on the New Year’s holiday.
“We recognize that this decision will cause some hardship to some residents’ celebration plans as well as businesses and nonprofit organizations that sell fireworks,” Quiring O’Brien stated in the release. “We empathize with all who are affected, but we must follow county codes. They are in place to protect the welfare and safety of Clark County residents.”
