Thursday, October 1, 2026
State and local fire officials are urging Washingtonians to use caution lighting fireworks this weekend, especially as a statewide drought raises wildfire risks.
Nearly every part of Washington state has outdoor burning restrictions in place, according to the Department of Natural Resources. As of Thursday, July 2, fire risks are very high in the Lower Yakima Basin and high in most of Eastern Washington. West of the Cascades, the fire risk is moderate after a stretch of cooler weather and some rain.
About 80% to 90% of wildfires in Washington are human-caused, according to the Washington State Department of Natural Resources. So far this year, there have been 323 fires on state lands spanning over 12,000 acres.
“Let’s help our firefighters stay safe and protect our lands this holiday weekend by practicing good prevention and recreating responsibly,” said Public Lands Commissioner Dave Upthegrove.
Last year’s Bear Gulch Fire, which grew to over 20,000 acres in the Olympic National Forest and took four months to contain, was started by a firework around the Fourth of July, said Carol Connolly, Public Information Officer for the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.
It was one of the 79 firework-ignited fires on Washington state lands last year, over half of which occurred in Western Washington, according to the Department of Natural Resources.
“Don’t be a spark this Fourth of July and leave the fireworks to the professionals,” Upthegrove said.
Fireworks can still be set off, but only in certain jurisdictions. Fireworks are banned on forest lands, in Washington State Parks, and in some counties and cities, including Port Angeles, Chelan County and the city of Vancouver. Discharging fireworks illegally can result in a $99 ticket.
“Please make sure you have a safety plan and the right insurance before you put flame to wick,” said Kenton Brine, Northwest Insurance Council President, in a press release.
Standard homeowners insurance typically covers fire damage on personal property and liability if someone is injured on the property or if negligence causes damage to someone else’s property, according to the council.
If you plan to light fireworks, the State Fire Marshal’s Office recommends keeping a bucket of water or garden hose nearby and avoiding areas with dry vegetation.
Firework sales run from June 28 at 12 p.m. to July 5 at 9 p.m., according to state law. The legal period to light fireworks is from June 28 through July 5. On the Fourth of July, fireworks can be ignited until midnight.
Last year, Washington State Parks labeled July 5 as the “Dirtiest Beach Day of the Year,” as volunteers picked up more than 141,000 pounds of trash from state beaches.
The agency is urging beachgoers to pick up all trash on the night of July 4, as high tide will be at 5 a.m. the next morning.
Washington State Parks, in partnership with Washington CoastSavers, will host voluntary beach cleanups on July 5 at Cape Disappointment, Grayland Beach, Ocean City, Pacific Beach and Twin Harbors. No registration is necessary.
Courtesy of Washington State Standard
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Boatyarddog
To h*** with the fireworks , it's one of the reasons america's so disliked in the world is because of their military policy. Just leave that b s at home
Friday, July 3 Report this
SecondOtter
Every year we beg Thurston COunty Commissioners to ban fireworks outside of organized venues, and every year the commission totally ignores us. Other counties: Pierce, King, even Mason...ban them and guess what they don't have the number of fires set by irresponsible people and their fireworks. I guess it will take a commissioner's home to be burnt to get through to them.
Friday, July 3 Report this
kellykelly
I agree with Second Otter. Considering the high risk of wildfires, and that Thurston county has banned fires, why haven't they banned fireworks this year?
Saturday, July 4 Report this
Positivity
It would have been helpful if there had been a banner of some kind in or above this article that clarified that Olympia, Lacey, and Tumwater have all banned fireworks!
It's the evening of July 3, going into the morning of July 4, and fireworks have been going off all over the place for hours in Olympia, including really big shells and loud ones as well as some that just went off in the Bigelow Highlands neighborhood that were loud and sounded like someone shooting a bunch of high caliber rounds from an automatic rifle - 30 or more (not firecrackers). Maybe it was gunfire?
The arrogance and selfishness of people who continue to shoot off these fireworks in spite of drought conditions, fire dangers, and the fear caused to wildlife and pets is just appalling. Shame on them!
Saturday, July 4 Report this
Wesley
Turns out we were just fine.
Tuesday, July 7 Report this