Stop the sparklers and hold your matches for this Fourth of July in Portland.
The use of all fireworks is banned in city limits. Flare enough.
The Portland City Council voted earlier this year to ban the sale and use of the items year-round, citing increased fire risk, rising temperatures and drought.
“We must adapt during a climate emergency,” Commissioner Jo Ann Hardesty said in a tweet at the time of the vote. “Fires are becoming more prominent and more deadly.”
This year’s ban follows a temporary one last year that led to fewer fires caused by fireworks. According to data compiled by the city, fireworks caused 15 fires in last year’s fireworks season — June 23 through July 6 — including three on July 4 alone, compared with 18 the previous year.
In one instance last year, discarded fireworks in a dumpster outside of Heidi Manor apartments in Northeast Portland ignited a blaze that killed three people. Other residents jumped from balconies and described harrowing escapes. And in 2017, a teen who tossed a smoke bomb in the Columbia River Gorge sparked a wildfire that burned 48,000 acres, choking Portland’s skies for days.
Across the Columbia River, fireworks are banned within the city limits of Vancouver. It’s the same in Cannon Beach, where the city is hosting a fireworks-free celebration. Elsewhere in Oregon, state law prohibits the personal use or sale of fireworks that fly, explode, or travel more than six feet on the ground or 12 inches in the air.
There are other good reasons to avoid fireworks, which can stress and frighten pets and people who suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder. The Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue urged residents to be aware of their impact, given that the loud noises produce sounds similar to gunshots. Scared pets may bolt from yards or cars, becoming lost.
Dr. Alexandra McLaughry, who owns and operates BarburVet in Southwest Portland, said the veterinary hospital preps for the holiday, dispensing sedatives like Gabapentin and Trazodone in “wag bags.”
“Sedatives are often a part of the cocktail because it’s so traumatic,” she said. Besides sedatives, McLaughry recommends doggy-calming music or cat-calming music that one can find on the radio and tells pet owners to draw their curtains in advance. ”It’s really sad because a lot of owners lose their pets due to Fourth of July,” McLaughry said. “So we just try to prep them and warn them before it happens.”
Portland residents should not call 911 to report illegal fireworks. The emergency service should be used only to report active fires and serious medical problems.
Portland fire investigators say they will be investigating all fires that have a connection to fireworks. Any firework use that causes injury or extensive damage can result in heavy fines and possibly jail time, the city said in a post.
If you’re looking for where to watch Fourth of July celebrations in Oregon and Southwest Washington, The Oregonian/OregonLive compiled a list of events. In Portland, head to Oaks Park or the Waterfront Blues Festival Monday to see a big fireworks display.
–Zaeem Shaikh; mshaikh@oregonian.com; 503-221-8111; @zaeemshake
