Fireworks explode above Chehalis as residents celebrate Independence Day 2019.
The Centralia City Council passed an amended fireworks ordinance Tuesday night with a split vote of four councilors to three, making it illegal to discharge fireworks in the city except on July 4 noon to midnight and Dec. 31 into Jan. 1, 6 p.m. to 1 a.m.
This new law is much more restrictive than state law, which Centralia had been following. The new restrictions will not go into place until 2021. State law allows fireworks to be set off June 28 to July 5 from noon to midnight and on New Year’s Eve (Dec. 31), 6 p.m. to 1 a.m., but cities are allowed to make more restrictive laws.
Three citizens signed up to voice their opinions about the firework laws at the city council meeting on Tuesday night; Deanna Morris, John VerValen, and Peter Lahmann, as well as a couple people speaking out from the audience as the discussion escalated.
“I did a little research and last year, according to the State Fire Marshal, there were 209 reports in injury and over 92 reports of fire. These were all associated with fireworks. In the state, 78 cities and towns restrict or ban fireworks,” stated Morris in front of the council.
“This is an issue that’s been brewing for a long, long time and it’s not going away anytime soon,” said VerValen to the council, “You can shorten the time span of when you can shoot them off — it’s not going to change anything … The police department doesn’t have the personnel to chase them down, especially on (July) 3rd and the 4th. ... It’s not an enforceable ordinance, realistically,” he said.
Centralia Police Chief said that around the Fourth of July the officers are “running from call to call to call,” making enforcement difficult.
“I feel that my constituents would prefer an all-out ban for a number of reasons — it’s the noise, it’s the risk, it’s the environmental impact, it’s the debris and garbage and although I agree that we don’t want to put an unreasonable burden on our police department, we have lots of laws and some people break them and some people follow them,” said Councilor Rebecca Staebler.
Staebler pointed out that just because a law may not be able to be properly enforced is not a reason to not have the law. She proposed a total ban but the motion failed due to the failure to get a second.
Councillor Susan Luond said that she would like to the issue of a total ban on fireworks in the city be put to a vote by the citizens of Centralia.
“You have one day, it’s a holiday, a lot of people don’t work, you can leave town if you want to get away from it (fireworks) when it’s days and days and days it just interrupts too many people’s lives. Having it at least on the 4th, that’s the holiday, do it (set off fireworks) on that day,” said Councillor Max Vogt.
Citizens wanted to see a firework display for Independence Day are encouraged to go to the Southwest Washington Fairgrounds.
