EVERETT — Fireworks can no longer be sold in places where they are banned in Snohomish County, under a new county ordinance approved Wednesday.
The Snohomish County Council made the move in a unanimous vote.
Last year, half of the 34 firework stands permitted by the county were in areas where lighting them off is banned. The County Council tabled a proposal on the topic last year.
Council member Strom Peterson proposed the ordinance again earlier this year. This time it found more support.
Peterson called the measure the “next logical step” in “hoping to reduce some of the nuisances.”
“I think there’s more work to do in the future, as we deal with climate change and drier conditions, as we deal with more and more people moving into our county,” he said.
Council member Megan Dunn also voiced her support for the ban.
“My vote to support this ordinance is a reflection of my commitment to public safety and environmental stewardship. I encourage every household to exercise good judgement as they celebrate holidays responsibly,” Dunn said in a press release.
South County Fire, in particular, has pushed for the firework ban. Since 2020, the county has banned setting off fireworks in the Southwest Urban Growth Area, an unincorporated swath of southwestern Snohomish County south of Everett and Mukilteo, north of Edmonds and Lynnwood, and all around Mill Creek.
South County Fire covers much of that territory. Most towns and cities in Snohomish County have regulations against lighting fireworks off in city limits.
In public comment Wednesday, the community outreach manager for the fire authority, Shawneri Guzman, gave two opposing examples of a Fourth of July parade in Edmonds — where the city has a ban of fireworks — to the frenetic energy of firefighters responding to calls elsewhere.
“It’s like coming from a peaceful place to a war zone,” Guzman told the council. “And the debris from the fireworks is even in our parking lot the next day. So bans do work. Not everybody will abide by them, but it’ll be easier to enforce for the few that don’t.”
The Fourth of July is also the busiest day of the year for 911 calls, Snohomish County Sheriff’s Office spokesperson Courtney O’Keefe wrote in an email. It’s been “a few years” since the sheriff’s office cited anyone for unlawful possession or discharge of fireworks.
“We work in partnership with our local fire departments and will run educational outreach campaigns in the weeks leading up to the holiday,” O’Keefe said.
Jason Trout, a regional manager for TNT Fireworks, said nonprofits would be affected by the sales ban. On its website, TNT Fireworks states that “thousands” of nonprofits across the country use its products as their primary fundraiser.
“I just would ask that you would take in to consideration the nonprofit organizations and the lack of funds that they’re going to have,” Trout said. “Several of them may have to close.”
The ban will go into effect next year.
Jordan Hansen: 425-339-3046; jordan.hansen@heraldnet.com; Twitter: @jordyhansen.
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