Here’s where fireworks are and aren’t banned around the Seattle area

MERCER ISLAND — Most cities in the Seattle area have tried — with varying success — to ban the Fourth of July’s smoke devices, shells and Roman candles that are often the source of 911 calls, emergency room visits and 1,000-comment posts on neighborhood Facebook groups.

But a dwindling few, like Mercer Island, have kept the spark alive.

On the island surrounded by Lake Washington, residents and revelers can discharge “safe and sane” fireworks, from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. only on July 4, as long as they’re not in parks or on school properties.  

Fireworks are illegal in Seattle and most cities throughout King County, as well as unincorporated areas. They’re also banned in Everett and Tacoma. Fire departments there advise waiting for professionals to light up the night sky.

A list of fireworks displays around the region is available at https://st.news/seattle-fireworks.

The King County jurisdictions that do allow personal fireworks, like Mercer Island, Auburn and Snoqualmie, regulate the types that are allowed and the hours they can be discharged. Snoqualmie, for example, allows ground fireworks, handheld sparklers and smoke devices from 9 a.m. to midnight on the Fourth of July.

Fireworks are banned in King County’s unincorporated areas, and this is the first year King County will enforce its rules after they went into effect in 2022. Violators could be issued a citation if someone reports a complaint, which requires a specific property address, according to King County. The person who submitted the complaint must be willing to testify in order for someone to be issued a citation with a penalty.

Ongoing restrictions prohibit the use of fireworks on all Bureau of Land Management areas in Washington and Oregon. Fireworks are banned on state and federal land managed by the state Department of Natural Resources and the U.S. Forest Service.

Firecrackers, bottle rockets and missiles are illegal to possess or discharge anywhere outside of tribal lands, according to the Washington State Patrol.

In unincorporated Pierce County, fireworks are allowed only on the Fourth of July, from 11 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. They’re banned in unincorporated southwest Snohomish County and legal in other unincorporated areas from 9 a.m. to 11:59 p.m. on the Fourth of July.

Island County allows fireworks from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. on July 3 and July 5, and from 9 a.m. to midnight on July 4. All fireworks are banned throughout the islands of San Juan County.

On Mercer Island, Fire Marshal Jeromy Hicks said the city ups its Fire Department staffing for the day, given the inherent risk that fireworks bring, especially when combined with more people being out and on the water. The City Council this year debated its fireworks rules, with some council members supporting a ban, but voted to keep them as is.

Fire departments throughout the region say 911 calls should be reserved for life-threatening emergencies. But Hicks added it’s best to call if you think there’s a risk of fire or injury.

“If you think something is not right, then call,” he said. “We would rather be out there if an incident occurs, rather than mitigate it as it goes on.”