One week till the 4th of July: Fireworks rules; more holiday events

| Fun stuff to do | Holidays | Safety

Tomorrow at noon, the fireworks stands in unincorporated King County will open — including some that are literally just barely over the line from the Seattle city limits, where they’re banned. (The photo above shows one of the stands in White Center.) So it seems like a good time for a reminder about the rules: As spelled out on this King County page (which is also linked on our WSB West Seattle 4th of July page), you can buy them starting tomorrow but you can only use them between 9 am and midnight on the 4th, and only in the unincorporated area (or a few cities where they’re legal, listed further down this page; closest one is Normandy Park). If you want to check whether a certain address or place is in the unincorporated area, this page shows how to do that. And the only fireworks legal in those areas are the ones you buy at stands like the one shown above – the serious explosives sold at tribal stands are NOT legal off reservation land. And we should note, fire chiefs around King County would rather you just not set off fireworks at all, legal or not; last year there was one big fire and several small ones blamed on fireworks here in West Seattle. Last note – thanks to everyone who’s sending word of West Seattle 4th of July events; we have several more on our 4th of July page now, including the Avalon Glass Works sidewalk sale, a sale at Click! Design That Fits (WSB sponsor), and the C & P Coffee community barbecue/potluck – as well as the latest on the big fireworks displays visible from here, the West Seattle parades, and other assorted holiday-related info.

JimmyG June 27, 2008 (7:16 pm)

I know it’s not patriotic to say so, but I really wish you couldn’t buy fireworks anywhere legally.

Watching a professional display is okay, but watching the neighborhood eejits with their whistling petes, sparklers, blossoms, and roman candles is tiresome and ear splitting.

This viewpoint of mine is proof positive I’m now an old fart.

Because I used to love to blow up stuff for the weeks leading up to the 4th when I was younger.

I’ll just shuffle off to my cave now…

Julie June 28, 2008 (9:39 am)

I find it tiresome and infuriating really that people cannot seem to have enough common sense in regards to things like fireworks, and it necessitates legal regulation. I mean…I heard a story in Iowa about someone going down a highway with fireworks in the backseat, a cigarette that blew back into a window and major chaos, fire, wrecking cars etc. as the result. I would say “fine example of ‘survival of the fittest’ in action” except for the potential for collateral damage. Once again, dumb people ruin things for everyone though. With a little intelligence and care, personal fireworks can be an awesome addition to holiday fun. Why is this beyond some people? *sigh*

Nancy Folsom June 29, 2008 (10:03 am)

I’m astonished to learn they’re not legal in Seattle. When I was a kid, our house caught on fire because of fireworks–a punk that wasn’t really out. I’m always a nervous wreck on the 4th, just waiting for a house fire. To add to that normal day of hell, last year neighborhood kids were setting firecrackers and fireworks for weeks, late at night. I feel like a kill joy, but I swear I can still smell the remnants of that house file. *shudder*

WSB June 29, 2008 (11:44 am)

I have a sort of association between 4th of July and house fires too … when I was 10 our house burned on July 2nd. Not fireworks — a candle — but we had to move into a motel near the house for a few weeks and throughout the holiday and beyond, that burnt smell lingered. As I mentioned in another post last night, as usual there is a whole lot of that fireworks-setting going on now; I was up till almost 5 am and the scanner just crackled with it. Very difficult to have so many jurisdictions with different rules so close together.