Washington’s state fire marshal warns buying fireworks online can be risky, urges caution
The Fourth of July is coming up, and with the patriotic holiday usually comes fireworks. As fireworks safety is highly important, making sure the types of fireworks you purchase and how you purchase them could make a big difference.
Buying fireworks online can be more convenient than going to a fireworks stand or store, but purchasing the holiday explosives online and having them shipped to a private residence is illegal, according to a press release from the Washington State Patrol and the Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office.
Fireworks can only be purchased online if they are sold from a licensed and permitted firework stand and are picked up at the stand itself.
Buying fireworks from licensed and permitted stands is also extremely important for firework safety, as some illegal fireworks may not be made properly and could be extremely dangerous.
Fireworks are evaluated through a list of requirements to make sure they will function properly and safely by the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission, but fireworks that are illegal have either not been examined, or have been examined and failed approval from the CPSC, making their use extremely dangerous for consumers.
Many types of fireworks you can buy in person or online are illegal to light off and even possess in most parts of Washington state, as some fireworks that are illegal can still be sold on tribal lands and reservations.
What’s legal in Whatcom County?
Firecrackers, bottle rockets, missiles, and rockets are legal to use on tribal lands only. “These items are illegal in Washington State and become illegal fireworks when possessed off tribal lands,” the Whatcom County website states.
For a complete list of which fireworks are legal and illegal in Washington State, the Washington State Patrol has put together a list to help keep citizens safe this holiday weekend.
There is also a limited time that Washington citizens are allowed to light fireworks. Across Washington state, fireworks sales and use are only allowed around the Fourth of July and New Year’s Eve.
Most counties and cities across the state also have their own specific times on the Fourth of July that fireworks are allowed to be used. In Whatcom County, fireworks are allowed to be used from 6-11 p.m. on July 3 and July 5, and from 6 p.m. to midnight on the Fourth of July. All fireworks are banned within Bellingham city limits.
