A fire dangerous Fourth

WEST PLAINS — When it comes to the Fourth of July tradition of discharging fireworks, local fire agency officials are hoping West Plains residents will follow the old 1980s Nancy Reagan adage about drug use and just say no.

Fireworks are banned in most of Spokane County with the exceptions of the cities of Airway Heights and Medical Lake — both of which allow their sales and usage. That is until Monday afternoon, when Spokane County Fire District 3 Fire Chief Cody Rohrbach enacted a temporary ban on discharging fireworks in the city, citing extremely dry conditions and increasing fire potential.

The move is made under Section 5.10.060 of the city’s municipal code, which allows the Fire Chief to prohibit the discharge of fireworks due to extreme fire danger, defined under the code as “a period of hot, dry weather accompanied by low fuel moistures.” Spokane County Fire District 3 provides fire service to Medical Lake. That portion of the “Fireworks” chapter was adopted in 2015, and the entire chapter was established in 1986, referencing “as if fully set forth herein, RCW Chapter 70.77, State Fireworks Law, as currently adopted or hereafter amended.”

Rohrbach noted that fuel conditions are “6-8 weeks ahead of normal,” and more closely resemble conditions found in late August rather than barely a week after the end of spring and beginning of summer.

“These conditions are forecast to persist throughout the holiday weekend, making our communities extremely vulnerable to large, devastating fires,” Rohrbach said. “The Fire District is asking for the public’s help in reducing the risk that the current conditions pose to our communities.”

Rohrbach’s ban address the use of fireworks in Medical Lake, but City Administrator Doug Ross said their sale will also be put on hold.

“Both fireworks retailers within the city have agreed to not open this year,” Ross said in an email.

Other fire agency officials echo Rohrbach’s assessment. The region experienced the driest March-April timeframe since 1926 — and fourth driest since 1895 — and despite some precipitation since then, not enough has fallen to stave off extreme drought conditions — now compounded by very excessive heat.

The combined elements led the National Weather Service to expand its D3 “extreme drought” rating. Extreme drought now covers all of Adams, Benton and Franklin counties along with most of Grant, Lincoln, Spokane, Walla Walla and Whitman counties.

“All conditions are ripe for a potential catastrophe,” Spokane County Fire District 10 Division Chief Debbie Dobson said.

While headquartered in Airway Heights, District 10’s area of authority is the unincorporated county on the West Plains, where fireworks are illegal. Dobson said they don’t have jurisdiction over whether or not Airway Heights allows fireworks.

At press time, Airway Heights had not issued a statement on whether it was going to ban the discharge of fireworks or allow them to continue. Nor was there any indication Northern Quest Resort & Casino was going to postpone its planned Fourth of July fireworks show, scheduled to begin at 10 p.m.

On July 4, 2019, the casino’s fireworks show — billed then as the largest “between Seattle and Billings, Montana” — sparked five brush fires and was cancelled almost immediately after it began. Fire officials chalked up the fires to rogue fireworks accidently discharged.

Dobson is worried something similar could happen this year, straining already thinly stretched resources.

“Any time we start getting those phone calls, it just spreads our resources to thin that it makes it difficult to try to keep things (fires) small,” she added.

The State Fire Marshal urges people who discharge fireworks to “Be prepared, be safe and be responsible.” Preparedness comes from buying only legal fireworks, having ample water nearby and keeping pets away.

Safety involves having only adults light fireworks, never in your hand or indoors and only one at a time. Responsibility comes with cleaning up afterwards, especially soaking used fireworks, and keeping matches and lighters away from children.

According to the statistics from the Washington State Patrol, there were 360 fires caused by fireworks in 2020, resulting in over $1.3 million in damages and 237 injuries. Dobson and other fire officials hope residents follow one simple adage to avoid repeating these statistics this year — or worse.

“Make the right decision and choose not to have fireworks this year,” she said.

John McCallum can be reached at [email protected].