Sheriff, Patrol urge caution when using fireworks this July 4

EPHRATA — With the Independence Day holiday coming up, the Washington State Patrol and the Grant County Sheriff’s Office are advising everyone to buy their fireworks legally and to use them safely.

According to the GCSO, fireworks are legal in the unincorporated areas of Grant County except in the communities of Marine View Heights (the community just south of Potholes Reservoir), Crescent Bar, Sunland Estates, Desert Aire (except for the park), the Gorge Amphitheatre and the Gorge Campground.

Firework sales and use are legal in Grant County beginning June 28 at 12 p.m. and ending on July 5 at 11 p.m. Discharge of fireworks is prohibited after 11 p.m. on each of those days except for July 4 itself, when fireworks use is expected to end at 12:01 a.m. the morning of July 5.

Fireworks are a major cause of fires and injuries, and the GCSO is advising people to use fireworks safely to minimize risk by

• Buying only legal fireworks

• Keeping fireworks, matches and lighters out of the hands of children

• Not using fireworks at all when it’s windy and avoiding areas of dry grass or vegetation

• Maintaining a safe distance when using fireworks; position fireworks so they won’t land near homes or buildings

• Soaking firework debris in water and cleaning up.

In a press release, the WSP said fireworks can only be sold at state-licensed stands, and that the sale and possession of “firecrackers, bottle rockets, sky rockets and missiles” is illegal in Washington state. However, none of these items are banned under federal law and are sometimes sold on tribal lands, the WSP noted.

Altered fireworks, bombs like M-80s and M-100s, and homemade fireworks are all banned by federal law, the WSP press release said.

The WSP advised anyone coming across a suspicious firework to contact local law enforcement or the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

For more information, or if you have any questions, contact the Grant County Fire Marshal at 509-754-2011, contact the WSP at 360-596-3929 or visit www.wsp.wa.gov/fireworks.