118 Replies to "FOURTH OF JULY 2023: Hectic night for emergency responders, including Arbor Heights fire"

• Danimal July 4, 2023 (11:10 pm)

  Police are preventing even locals from going down into the Alki neighborhood using Admiral. The one cop we encountered had parked a large truck crossways across the downhill lane on Admiral at a point where the next car up for the forced left onto 49th SB could not see through the truck to turn left across oncoming traffic. Brilliant. Don’t be surprised to hear about an accident at that intersection. The police would have been better utilized cruising around writing tickets for fireworks for city revenue. Because it’s ILLEGAL IN THE CITY.

  But no, people have to be selfish and stupid and create unmitigated and intense fear for people’s pets, interfere with the sleep of folks who have to work early the next morning, and create brush fires in our city parks and house fires at our dwellings, because they can’t bear to not be selfish and stupid.

  Unbelievable that the fire department has to beg for police help. Should be a $10,000 fine and 30 days in county for disobeying a firefighter request.

  • stacksinsea July 4, 2023 (11:29 pm)

    💯 to all of this. 

    • Annoyed July 4, 2023 (11:55 pm)

      I agree 100% and they are also doing NOTHING about the people who are letting off fire works. I also passed half a dozen cops doing nothing while a music was being blasted and people were pulling up into new parking spots post curfew. I really cannot understand why users on this blog every day say “we need more police presence” when they do NOTHING but cause more traffic, they don’t remove the homeless bus encampments and make it harder for residents to get home 

      • Rhonda July 5, 2023 (12:24 am)

        Alki Beach is closed, not the streets or parking spots. 

      • Mike July 5, 2023 (6:01 am)

        Unless they see the specific person doing the illegal activity, they can’t ticket or arrest them without probable cause.  You also don’t know what they’re doing from a glance.  There were more people at Alki than the entire city has staffing all of SPD.  I’m not sure what you’re expecting one of the most severely understaffed major municipal police forces in the country to be doing.  Please enlightened us on how your vision for policing works.

    • Alex July 5, 2023 (8:04 am)

      Great video Ken Wilson.   The music had a dystopian feel to it and I thought it might be leading up to West Seattle on fire at the end.    

  • Rhonda July 5, 2023 (12:05 am)

    The “people” lighting off fireworks are almost exclusively teens and tweens. On my evening run I passed about 3 dozen groups lighting them off and I’d guess the average age was about 14.

    • Fiz July 5, 2023 (7:48 am)

      My inconsiderate 65-year-old neighbor is no teenager and he had a blast last night. NOT appreciated.

    • Josh July 5, 2023 (8:14 am)

      Rhonda as much as I disagree with your perspective on most things I still view you as a person. Dehumanization is the first step to hell for a society. 

      • Danimal July 5, 2023 (2:22 pm)

        She’s not dehumanizing anyone, Josh, and you know it. Stop your handwringing and mischaracterization. She was specifying which subset of the people I mentioned in my comment she was observing acting like entitled miscreants.

    • Anywhere but here July 5, 2023 (2:42 pm)

       You are aware that teens and tweens are ACTUAL people right? That’s not what quotation marks are for. 

      • Danimal July 5, 2023 (10:48 pm)

        You stop it too. You know exactly what Rhonda was trying to say when she used quotation marks. Hand wringing accusations borne of a political agenda are meaningless when deep down you already know she wasn’t implying dehumanization.

  • 1994 July 5, 2023 (2:51 pm)

    July 4 evening into the early hours of July 5 was HORRIBLE! Noise pollution at our finest!  Celebrate your freedom in some manner that does not impact thousands of people, first responders, pets, wildlife….

• Lincoln Park Gunfire Correspondent July 4, 2023 (11:19 pm)

  We just arrived home (very close to solstice park).  There was a huge…almost professional fireworks display from the viewpoint….around 10:55pm.  We could not believe what we were witnessing.

  • Danimal July 4, 2023 (11:44 pm)

    Not advocating anyone do this, but if had been me? I might have gone in there and torn shit up. Our neighbors set fire to a gigantic pine tree on our property with fireworks when I was a kid. It was far enough away from the house and so tall that we could not reach it with a garden hose, even with our fantastic community water pressure. If that tree had torched out before the fire department arrived, the entire community could have burned down due to the thickets of pondersoa pine undergrowth that were everywhere.

• Gatewoodrespondent July 4, 2023 (11:45 pm)

  Called in a huge display from 34th and SW Myrtle almost two hours ago that is still going, where they are lighting things off close to and into nearby trees. Amazed a fire hasn’t started already here. 

  • High Point Guy July 5, 2023 (1:00 am)

    That was nuts!  We live two blocks down the street from there. It’s almost 1am now and they seem to have finally run out of fireworks. Also tonight in the neighborhood:Kids shooting fireworks at each other at the community center. Aggressively. They clearly weren’t friends. Someone lit a mortar right on the street which hit multiple cars and started two fires on my neighbor’s yard (quickly put out by hoses so not included in the “brush fire” count)After all that BS we ran off a car of high-school girls who were trying to park in front of our house, looking  to join the 34th & Myrtle party. They definitely didn’t know how to drive that Prius – made a 35-point turn – then sped off with no headlights. (That part was actually comical.)Tonight was worse than before, right? It seemed like it. 

    • Highpoint gal July 5, 2023 (8:52 am)

      Two spots in our yard were burned by fire works last night

• Juanita July 4, 2023 (11:47 pm)

  Yup a fine.  Too bad you can’t get points on your license or have this be reported to your home owners/renters insurance in order to have your premiums adjusted if you’re shooting off fireworks at your house.   Its funny how some people who lose their minds over all the theft that’s occurring have no issue breaking the law themselves with fireworks.  Both are illegal.

• YareUhere July 4, 2023 (11:52 pm)

  What’s the point of banning fireworks in Seattle, when there’s no repercussions for those who still set them off? Especially in and around city parks that are supposed to be closed at night. I’m getting sick and tired of people who don’t live in my neighborhood, coming to my neighborhood, to light it up in the park until 2, 3am every year because they used to live in this neighborhood when they were kids. 

  • CAM July 5, 2023 (12:16 am)

    That’s hilarious that you think it isn’t the person living 2 doors down from you doing it. This is absolutely your neighbors putting on a show for you. They are usually here in the comments telling you to enjoy it. 

  • chris July 5, 2023 (9:49 am)

    There isn’t repercussions for most illegal activities in seattle anymore if you haven’t noticed. you can make them illegal it won’t stop anything. 

• Ly July 4, 2023 (11:53 pm)

  Such rampant disregard for the law when it is illegal to set off fireworks. Idiots. I kind of wish the firemen asking the people to stop setting off fireworks would just turn the hose of those people and their fireworks. 

  • Danimal July 5, 2023 (12:07 am)

    Now THERE’S an idea.

  • saint July 5, 2023 (9:51 am)

    isn’t that what they did to the black people in the 60’s? That was a very dumb comment.

    • Danimal July 5, 2023 (2:24 pm)

      Obviously there’s no racism in my comment, YOU made it about race. I’m saying that a good soaking (not an injurious high pressure blast) of the fireworks and the people lighting them off would be well-warranted. Breaking laws comes with consequences. There’s no race in fireworks, so knock it off.

• DRW July 4, 2023 (11:57 pm)

  Small grass fire at 18th and Henderson. Luckily extinguished quickly. Thanks SFD! And the guy is still lighting mortars off. 

  • Danimal July 5, 2023 (12:06 am)

    Time for the citizens to band together to stop it.

    • Rhonda July 5, 2023 (2:36 am)

      Citizens to band together to stop fellow citizens from celebrating your Nation and freedoms? That sounds even worse than the 2am mortars ringing in the night air.

      • Alki July 5, 2023 (3:09 am)

        And there in lies the root of the real issue . No one agrees on anything and anything is allowed because everyone is entitled to do anything they want regardless of anyone else. 

      • OneTimeCharley July 5, 2023 (3:24 am)

        Not at all Rhonda if the ‘banding together’ means organizing to support candidates who believe in enforcing laws. This is lawless behavior at a time when lawless behavior seems to be happening everywhere, all the time. I’m ready to start driving neighborhoods in the wee hours observing and reporting every lawless act I see. Maybe if a few people did the same thing, then the seriousness of our collective problem would be more clearly understood by those who in positions to do something about it. There was nothing wrong with what Danimal stated, just with your assumptions.

      • Ly July 5, 2023 (4:18 am)

        “Freedom” to be stupid. 

      • anonyme July 5, 2023 (5:54 am)

        I can pretty much guarantee that NONE of these jerks are celebrating “nation” or “freedoms”.  These are numbskulls who get a thrill out of the reverberation made in their empty skulls by pseudo-bombs. And citizens banding together to stop fellow citizens from breaking the law, disturbing the peace, poisoning the environment, terrorizing pets, vets, and children (as well as thousands of others, including people who work for a living), wasting police and fire resources, etc., etc, etc….why, I’m just fine with that.

        • Ts July 5, 2023 (10:47 am)

          And now today we can’t let our kids outside to run around without risking their health. God forbid you have asthma and/or long haul covid. I love seeing fireworks but our environment can’t handle it 

      • Shotinthefoot July 5, 2023 (7:20 am)

        Got it- so we only enforce the laws that you want to enforce. Weird take for someone supposedly working in law enforcement. Fireworks are illegal, full stop. The only freedom being celebrated here is freedom from critical thinking, it seems. 

        • Rhonda July 5, 2023 (12:10 pm)

          What we all observed last night/this morning was a form of large-scale civil unrest for which our way-understaffed SPD and KCS cannot contain. I HIGHLY advise that you and any “posse” of angry neighbors NOT confront the countless groups of intoxicated teenagers and drunk young men in the streets at 1am. You are not equipped, trained, or educated on the laws regarding such incidents. Leaving QFC around 23:00 I observed one young man last night in a black Mercedes (near the Westwood Village rapid ride) get out and yell at a group of young people lighting off huge fireworks on Barton. They quickly surrounded his car and began slapping his hood and fenders. He got back in his car and fled at a high rate of speed. It escalated VERY quickly. When SPD officers, KCS deputies, and SFD personal won’t confront intoxicated groups shooting flaming, exploding projectiles, what makes you think you or any other untrained, unarmed, and out-numbered person(s) should? The large-scale law-breaking last night wasn’t limited to fireworks. There was street racing, drunken fights, underage alcohol/marijuana consumption, trespassing, vandalism, etc. Law enforcement personnel have to prioritize those incidents over fireworks as well as control the large-scale traffic around city viewpoints. These are bigger societal issues that need to be addressed all year at many levels, not just in one night.

      • J July 5, 2023 (7:50 am)

        Grow up! How is setting off destructive loud devices that make animals cower, cry and frantically pace the house looking for anywhere to escape, how about actual patriots (veterans)  with PTSD who have to suffer through a night of immature, law breaking yahoos who claim it’s all about celebrating this country when most of these numbskulls couldn’t even pass a 4th grade US History class. 

      • Facts Matter July 5, 2023 (7:15 pm)

        You aren’t free to break the law, Rhonda 

        • Rhonda July 5, 2023 (11:50 pm)

          Um, Facts Matter, did you even bother to read my comment(s) where I said “civil unrest”? What part of mass-lawlessness are you having trouble comprehending?

• Pk July 5, 2023 (12:08 am)

  Mortars are still being set off at this hour in North Highline and WC and in the background are fire engine sirens. It’s like a war zone out there. I feel for people with PTSD. And my dog is having a rough time,  even with calming meds. 

• Sean on Alki July 5, 2023 (12:28 am)

  I live on Alki and it is chaos at the moment. I just watched a group of 4 people light a morter shell just on the ground and it exploded into the street and hit everything. I made a point not to complain about anything until after midnight, but i gotta work in the morning. Maybe being 35 years old is a bit young for being over this, but im over it. 

  • Also in Alki July 5, 2023 (1:06 am)

    33 & completely over it.  Didn’t mind the displays on the beach earlier so much but into 1 am is ridiculous.  Even at 10-11 pm there were fireworks going off from roofs and backyards that could’ve easily gone wrong and the heavy police presence didn’t seem to deter anything.

    • AmyT July 5, 2023 (6:01 am)

      I used to live on Alki for 20yrs we always hosted “the” 4th of July party but was always the rule no fireworks 1 year some asshats decided to bring some were let some off in the alley we immediately banned them get out and never come back you need to stand up and tell the people around you this is not acceptable and teach your children the same 

      • Sean on Alki July 5, 2023 (9:42 am)

        I thought about walking down there and asking them to go elsewhere, but they all looked intoxicated and it was a huge group. I’m pretty conflict averse and don’t think its my job to police people being wildly unsafe. I also didn’t want to get shot at – which wasn’t a fear I legitimately had until recent years.  Maybe you can move back and help us out lol!

        • Rose73 July 5, 2023 (12:26 pm)

          Hi Sean, I walked down there about 2am by 59th and alki to observe and wanted to say something but I wasn’t sure to as I was thinking for my safety.  I live just a block from there but couldn’t imagine what the neighbors living right across the street must have been feeling.   The female lighting the fireworks consistently was with a male supplying her with the fireworks from his car and they were with a young child of about 3yrs I would guess.   There were other younger people walking along the sidewalk.  They were there for about 4 hours from 11pm until 3am at least.  I went home and closed my windows and put a pillow over my head.  The morter shells let off about every 20 seconds to a minute along with other fireworks were super loud and I still feel ringing in my ears.

• Kimchi July 5, 2023 (12:34 am)

  I guess if you really want to complain try driving around the White Center area and see all the illegal fireworks going off in the middle of the road even past midnight a community where fireworks works where banned last year.  I sorry for all animals and people who can’t stand the noise and having their houses shaking due to the noise and trying to sleep. You said it, it’s like a war zone exactly and sounds like a war zone in the White Center community!

  • Jethro Marx July 5, 2023 (6:22 am)

    Never been in a war zone I see, Kimchi.

• Pratz July 5, 2023 (1:05 am)

  It’s 1:04, and these lunatics haven’t stopped with the fireworks yet. It’s insanely loud on Alki!!! Have a baby at home, constantly waking up to people who look like teens blowing up fireworks 10 metres away from home. How is this okay at 1:04am!!! ????

  • apocalypse July 5, 2023 (6:07 am)

    In White Center the idiots down the street kept setting off those fireworks works that sounded like bombs and my ear ringing at 2:30 am and literally shook my house.  I’m very sorry for your baby, I’m not surprised if your baby doesn’t have a headache or ear ache with ear drums injured due to the loud noises last night and earlier this morning. 

• BC July 5, 2023 (1:08 am)

  Deliberately setting off mortar shells at ground level seems to be the new move among the young and idiotic. Happening continuously at Lincoln Park right now, between Roman candle fights and random acts of public property destruction.

• Shawn July 5, 2023 (1:16 am)

  As of 1:05am, there has been a constant barrage of fireworks being shot off at the West Seattle Stadium. Its been going on for easily 2+ hours. Who needs sleep anyways? It’s not like I’m working at 5:30am. 

  • WSB July 5, 2023 (1:20 am)

    Now there’s a “brush fire” call in your area too.

    • Shawn July 5, 2023 (1:45 am)

      That explains why I’m smelling smoke.

• Zzz July 5, 2023 (1:16 am)

  1700 block of alki ave. Lots of fireworks still going off.

• Alki mom July 5, 2023 (1:18 am)

  Still nonstop fireworks in alki. I’m losing my mind. I don’t mind people having some fun until 11pm but it’s after 1am now and there is no sign of it stopping. Where are all those police who were parked on Alki Ave earlier tonight? Why is this still happening? 

  • Heidi July 5, 2023 (1:40 am)

    I couldn’t agree more! I understand it’s the 4th and people want to have some fun.. I partake in some of the fireworks myself, but at 1:40am and still going strong, this is ridiculous… I’m tired 😪  Do we know why cops aren’t coming down to the beach to shut this down? I’m assuming someone has called to complain. 

• Alkibarb July 5, 2023 (1:20 am)

  It is after1am & there are still intermittent fireworks being set in my neighborhood (106th & 26th area in White Center.).  They started at 7pm with an explosion so loud it shook my house. After that it got louder & louder & felt like a war zone, & continued nonstop until after midnite. Worst I’ve ever experienced. And no, it’s not teenagers. It’s homeowners who have grandchildren!  Just the most  inconsiderate & selfish people in existence. They are just now sending off a whole new set!  A bunch of huge booms just now.  Illegal doesn’t mean a thing.

  • AmyT July 5, 2023 (6:06 am)

    Ya it your neighbor on the corner in the yellow house just wait until football season 

• Martha July 5, 2023 (1:57 am)

  1:56 still going in Admiral Junction area. 

• #1American July 5, 2023 (2:06 am)

  I wonder what it would look like if there was a presence of capable people stationed at each of these locations that could handle the relatively low number of incidents. Maybe neighborhood volunteers? If we can still see fit to accept our neighbors without agreeing with them, we should also be able to deal with our differences. Otherwise we must all have the same beliefs…

  • Anne July 5, 2023 (7:58 am)

    You start.

  • Ferns July 5, 2023 (8:02 am)

    Take your propaganda elsewhere. No one “wonders” what would happen because we know what happens when people try to police their neighbors. Social division and fighting. That’s the exact playbook of hostile foreign governments toward our country. 

  • Seattlite July 5, 2023 (4:30 pm)

    Terrible idea.  No knows who has an illegal weapon…gun or for that matter knife.  Civilians are not trained to handle any kind of skirmish.

• Anxious Driver July 5, 2023 (2:07 am)

  35th and Roxbury.  Still going on.

• Vet-adjacent July 5, 2023 (2:07 am)

  Please, please stop saying “it’s like a war zone” unless you’ve actually been in a war zone. You have a condo at Alki and the riff-raff are keeping you up at night when you have to work in the morning? That’s inconvenient, and I agree the situation begs change, but please check your privilege before comparing yourself to people in actual war zones. 

  • Alki July 5, 2023 (2:30 am)

    People are really inconsiderate idiots covers it all. 

  • #1American July 5, 2023 (2:34 am)

    This land was made for you and me… No?

    • Me July 5, 2023 (6:52 am)

      Indeed it is. And we have laws and social norms that help ensure any specific Me doesn’t overly infringe on the rights of others. What happened last night was illegal, unsafe, and selfish. Kids don’t know any better (my mom would have kicked my ass, but that’s another story), but adults should.

  • AmyT July 5, 2023 (6:10 am)

    Bless you for your service 

  • Mcognito July 5, 2023 (7:15 am)

    Check your privilege? Wow. It’s not a privilege to not live in a war zone. It’s a basic human right. Thankfully we do not live in a war zone the same as, for instance, the Ukraine or any number of places. Hooray for us! I wish they didn’t either. I wish no one did. But my kid has been so traumatized by multiple drive by shootings in front of our home in West Seattle during Covid that she couldn’t go outside for months and has a paralyzing fear of loud noises. What would you call that? Her doctor calls it PTSD. (Maybe it’s a “privilege” that she’s getting mental health care and I shouldn’t complain…) I take my kid to the mountains (also a “privilege”where it is seriously illegal due to wildfire danger or to a super late movie – maybe a “privilege”???because I know people will never stop using illegal fireworks and police will never do anything about it. But I will, in the meantime, keep using metaphors like “it’s like a war zone” (I guess that’s actually a simile) because for some people it is their war zone. I don’t think it’s productive to keep my mouth shut just because someone somewhere in the world has it worse. 

    • Colby July 5, 2023 (10:24 am)

      If we are correcting language. Just note, we don’t say “The Ukraine” anymore. It’s just simply “Ukraine”. Just like it’s Kyiv (pronounced KEE-ef) and not Kiev (pronounced kee-EV). The former is Russian. 

      • MCognito July 5, 2023 (6:36 pm)

        Cody you’re right. Thanks for pointing out my mistake and sorry about that. I’ve tried to eradicate the “the” but failed this time. Acknowledged. 

  • William July 5, 2023 (8:07 am)

    Lighten up. “Like a war zone” is simply a figure of speech not meant to be read or taken literally. 

    • Jim July 5, 2023 (3:27 pm)

      Thanks! 

• Erithan July 5, 2023 (2:37 am)

  People set off freakin’ professional mortar style fireworks in the pay parking on 42nd right next to the construction site (insanely loud at 2am). Then a dozen more smaller ones for a solid 45 minutes! Like come on! Surprised nothing caught on fire!

• Erithan July 5, 2023 (2:38 am)

  Little before 2am 1:30 maybe**

• spring July 5, 2023 (2:50 am)

  Are there any videos of who these people are?Anybody ever interviewed one of these folks shooting the fireworks and why they do it and how much money they spent?What a waste of money!!

  • Leigh July 5, 2023 (9:14 am)

    For a little perspective, we would spend about $3000.00 on fire works each year, another $750.00 on BBQ, the whole neighborhood came out to watch and it was a time we got to know our neighbors and have a nice time. It was a fun time for all to really celebrate together. We stopped at midnight each year  per the law and had a lot of fire prevention items. Had been doing this for 20+ years. We did stop this year due to the ban in King County, however the “why” is that it had become a neighborhood gathering point with over 100 neighbors out winching. . 

    • WestSeattleBadTakes July 5, 2023 (10:00 am)

      You can do this without fireworks.

    • Oh Seattle July 5, 2023 (6:53 pm)

      Not that you would probably care, but for all the fun you and your 100 guests were having, you were ruining the night for more than a few of your neighbors. People like you are one of the big reasons I left Seattle. My elderly father with dementia was terrified and my dogs were usually hyperventilating from the noise. My mother spent her last 4th of July a month before her death trying to comfort my dad and the dog.  But as long as you and your buddies enjoyed yourselves…

  • Rose73 July 5, 2023 (11:36 am)

    I was down there on alki on  59th about 2am with an urge to tell the group of people to stop with the fireworks.  I decided to walk a little ways on the sidewalk and observe the situation.  What I witnessed was a woman lighting the Mortar shells and other fireworks one after another.  The female was with another man and a very young child I would guess maybe 3 yrs old standing there watching.  The male was supplying the female with the fireworks bringing them from his car.   I live just a block from where the female was lighting them constantly one after the other.  I called the non-emergency line and reported the activity as many other residents have.  Super loud. I decided not to approach them since I didn’t know them and wasn’t sure  whether they were drunk or on drugs .  There were younger people walking all over alki.  Other groups of people further down on alki near 54th and alki also lighting fireworks.  I saw and listened many were young spanish speaking and other mixed races.  Very loud fireworks what I think are called mortar shells  about every 20 seconds  and between other fireworks.   Lets hope this doesn’t repeat tonight or in the near future nights.

    • Brian July 5, 2023 (1:50 pm)

      Wait wait wait hold the freaking phone here for a second… you heard people speaking Spanish? And they were mixed race? Holy crap you need to get the President on this one. 

    • Rhonda July 5, 2023 (4:38 pm)

      Referring to the dad as “the male”, like you’re watching an exhibit at a zoo, is condescending. Mentioning them speaking Spanish and being “mixed race” tells me you were more of a threat to the family as they were to you or anyone else. Please take your racism elsewhere.

• Ly July 5, 2023 (4:15 am)

  4:15 a.m. and we have heard two loud explosions from the west, from our place here in Admiral (California/Hinds). Miserable night for sleep. :(

• Chris July 5, 2023 (4:55 am)

  There are still loud booms in North Admiral.  They sound like coming from Alki.    Right now 4:55 a.m.

• Westside Islander July 5, 2023 (5:03 am)

  4:45am a HUGE mortar just went off in North Admiral. Baby awake. Again. Thanks, a-holes. Side note to those mad that police aren’t doing anything about the fireworks- how in the WORLD could our tiny police force keep up with the insane number of people lighting off fireworks??? Not to mention they wouldn’t be punished because nothing in this city truly seems to be illegal!? Stop placing blame in the wrong place. They aren’t the ones making those decisions. 

  • Rose73 July 5, 2023 (11:53 am)

    Perhaps slapping a fine of $10,000 would stop these people for illegally lighting fireworks.

    • WS Res July 5, 2023 (5:56 pm)

      Do you want more homeless people? Because that’s one way to get more homeless people.

• Rob July 5, 2023 (5:24 am)

  At 5am I think I finally heard my last firework go off on 35th.  Insane.  

• Kt July 5, 2023 (5:39 am)

  Sadly we are now a country where people only care about themselves and their “freedom” to do whatever the heck they want.  People no longer seem to have a sense for the greater community.  It was loud at my house.  Maybe not a “war zone” but definitely loud booms going off constantly from 4 p.m. to 2 a.m. here near Westwood Village

  • Frog July 5, 2023 (11:08 am)

    Yes, if national independence is “celebrated” with general rudeness, debris, explosions, mayhem, and brushfires, you have to wonder if it was such a great idea after all.  God save the king! Alas, the current heir to old George III, King Charles, seems like a wimp so I doubt he would help matters.  His son seems not much better.  But maybe little George VII will grow up to kick some arse.

• John July 5, 2023 (7:00 am)

  Last year we left and went to Victoria, BC for 3 days and it was glorious.  We failed to plan a getaway in time this year and regret it.  We slept at a friend’s place closer to the junction because South Delridge and White Center are full war zones.  Starting planning for next year now to head north again.

• Tired July 5, 2023 (7:26 am)

  Just took my dog for a walk at alki and it’s so beyond trashed, thank you so much to those who are out cleaning already, I would have joined you but have to work. I also noticed an enclosed tent (one you sleep in, not a day tent for the beach) on the beach, I really hope this isn’t the start to an encampment. 

• revilo July 5, 2023 (7:57 am)

  I really enjoy all the fireworks.  Thank you to all who have shared your fireworks with me.

  • WS Guy July 6, 2023 (9:00 am)

    Same.  I love walking and seeing the little shows and talking to the people.  It’s one of the best nights of the year. 

• Ferns July 5, 2023 (8:20 am)

  I’d love anyone to share information or a photo on what happened at Hamilton viewpoint park. Hopefully it was just a grassfire or something small? It sits above a steep bluff with lots of trees and bushes below. It would be inconvenient to dangerous to have the actual plants on the hillside holding it up, burn down and allow  landslides come rainy season. Sometimes even people setting off fireworks from below shoot them toward this dried hillside area. Sounds like chaos last night compared to recent years. First, I heard the fireworks and then I heard the sirens! Reminded me of being in Reykjavík for New Year’s where the government allows citizens to buy fireworks just for that night as a fundraiser for their rescue services and anyone can set them off wherever. But it’s safer as the weather is often rainy, it’s freezing and they have no trees to worry about burning down. With climate change causing hotter and drier starts to summer we will have more preventable fires from the way people currently choose to celebrate this holiday. 

• BlairJ July 5, 2023 (8:40 am)

  How many of the people lighting fireworks in the parks come back the next day to clean up their debris?

  • Odd son July 5, 2023 (11:29 am)

    Zero? 😀

• Me July 5, 2023 (8:56 am)

  What do the police do o,? Why do we pay them….

• April July 5, 2023 (10:06 am)

  Thank-you Ken for the video. It was awesome! We had amazing fireworks in Seaview. Thank-you neighbors for the great show! Loved it!

• T Rex July 5, 2023 (10:28 am)

  This
  year was the worst I can remember. I live in upper Gatewood and I would like to
  thank all the all of you who continued this past midnight. They started at
  200pm and continued well into the morning hours.  WAY TOO LATE! I
  LOVE Akli and always wanted to live there but it is now the go to place to
  trash a neighborhood and then leave.  Thanks all you aholes who do not
  care about all the trash you left. I cannot understand that people spend the
  money they have on fireworks, have no issue hauling them to wherever they are
  going to blow them up at, but are too GD lazy to take away their trash with
  them. Lazy, disrespectful and all that comes with that statement.  Our
  area is nice because WE take care of things and pick up after ourselves. If we
  have a BBQ with all of our neighbors, we take all of our garbage home and
  dispose of it. That is the RIGHT THING TO DO! Please
  stay home next year and those of you that live here, shame on you.

  BE
  A NICE HUMAN!

• Gill & Alex July 5, 2023 (10:39 am)

  IN ALL THE YEARS WE HAVE LIVED IN WHITE CENTER WE HAVE NEVER HAD THE FIREWORKS GO UNTIL THE EARLY MORNING HOURS UNTIL NOW!

  • Lala July 6, 2023 (12:28 am)

    I’m a few blocks away from WC, right near Target and it was miserable this year. I couldn’t sleep, they were still going well into 4am/5am and now I still here them going. 

• John July 5, 2023 (11:07 am)

  King County has a website and phone number to report fireworks complaints and concerns. https://kingcounty.gov/depts/local-services/permits/building-fire-energy-codes/fireworks-outdoor-burn-bans.aspx

  • WSB July 5, 2023 (12:16 pm)

    Please note, that is ONLY for the unincorporated area (White Center, etc.). NOT for anyone who lives in the city of Seattle or any other King County city.

• HealthisNation July 5, 2023 (11:28 am)

  When will we as a community & SPD enforce the ban on fireworks in Seattle?
  This morning was a distressed eagle circling over the North Admiral (ironic?). Neighbors can also be heard calling out for lost pets. Multiple fires required the resources of our Fire Department in West Seattle. In the past I have walked over to Madison Middle School to explain to the “patriots” who were illegally using explosives in our community that I’m a veteran who experiences some distress when things explode near my home. My request has been ignored every time and I’m fairly certain none of these patriot bros have ever served or sacrificed for their country. PLEASE STOP THE FIREWORKS.

• Audifans July 5, 2023 (11:50 am)

  That smoke was pretty dense. I opened up the house to cool it down.  tons of smoke by morning and I was wondering why I had a headache and felt hungover. this morning….Now I know..Even the Weather person said there were air quality issues in areas due to fireworks.  wow..I thought this was pretty good

• Ws prayers July 5, 2023 (12:48 pm)

  I was at the bus stop at Westwood village yesterday teens light off fireworks one came towards me almost hit my hand! This was by rite aid there was a police vehicle driving thro same time I told them they didn’t even bat an eye! I felt the spark pop next to my hand centimeters could have blown the left side of my right hand! Sucks police were not enforcing the law

• Kristina July 5, 2023 (1:01 pm)

  I cleaned up fireworks debris from the beach at Lowman Park this morning, although I didn’t get it all. It was sad and ugly- at least if you’re going to keep your neighbors awake you can clean up after yourself. And if you must light things on fire can you do it far away from shore ecosystems, please?!

• sgs July 5, 2023 (1:34 pm)

  We’re preaching to the choir on here.   It would be more interesting to hear from the people who were involved as to why they think it was OK to do it.  Why not respect the community?  Why cause such destruction?  Do you have any real hopes and dreams for your future or our country’s future and your part in int?  Yeah, not likely to get anything meaningful.  Curious as to if it’s thoughtlessness or a “who gives a …” 

  • Rhonda July 5, 2023 (2:07 pm)

    If you know the addresses of your neighbors on your street who were lighting them off you could mail them a letter (no return address) with those same questions. My husband asked the people behind us at 7pm to please stop their fireworks at midnight and they did. The time to address these issues is long before people/teens/kids have spent hundreds of dollars on fireworks, are intoxicated, and are already celebrating after sunset. We have 365 days (Leap Year) to be proactive about next year’s 4th.

• anonyme July 5, 2023 (1:54 pm)

  Just to be clear, police have NEVER enforced fireworks violations in the 20 years I’ve been here.  A neighbor used to set up a full launching pad surrounded by his fireworks stash in the middle of our narrow residential street.  He would shoot off rockets etc. over the roofs of neighbors, sending burning debris everywhere.  I watched a cop car come up the street, perform an evasive maneuver around the fireworks and up over the curb, give the perp a little salute – and drive away.  Not only was this guy setting off illegal fireworks, but he was also blocking the right-of-way so that neither an emergency vehicle nor regular traffic could safely pass.  Add littering, as he left his mess in the street.  And yet a cop witnessing the entire crime in progress did NOTHING.  The excuse that police don’t have the manpower is just that – a pathetic excuse based on misguided politics and a lack of will to enforce the law.

• 1994 July 5, 2023 (3:00 pm)

  So, where are people purchasing all these so called fireworks? I have not seen any of those fund raiser fireworks shacks around.  I am guessing the delivery service providers won’t transport and deliver such items….

  • WSB July 5, 2023 (3:41 pm)

    I believe the Native nations’ fireworks sales continue in various areas outside the city.

• Lamont July 5, 2023 (4:14 pm)

  “ADDED WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON: SFD says the fire in Arbor Heights was accidental, “likely caused by fireworks,” with damage estimated at $85,000.”

  That should be “due to negligence” from an illegal activity, not “accidental”.

• Suzanne July 5, 2023 (5:07 pm)

  Here’s the fire at Solstice Park last night. My son took the picture after calling 911. He also put out the left half of it before SFD arrived. 

• anonyme July 5, 2023 (6:02 pm)

  Make the ban statewide, although nationwide would be fine as well.  Sanctioned and controlled public displays only, and without dumping toxic debris into waterways as is currently done here.

  • Wseattleite July 6, 2023 (1:35 pm)

    No thanks. 

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