Portland’s ban on fireworks should quell many of the pops and bangs along neighborhood streets this Fourth of July, but the Rose City is not the only place in Oregon and the vicinity that’s outlawed pyrotechnics year-round or for the summer.
The dangers fireworks pose to land, property and people have pushed other cities to prohibit fireworks for individual use as well, and Oregon state law restricts fireworks where local ordinances haven’t been established.
Here’s what firework restrictions look like in the Portland-metro area.
Outright bans
Portland banned fireworks — including sparklers — permanently in 2022, but that hasn’t always stopped people from grabbing ahold of them anyway. This year, officials warned that anyone who violates the ban may face civil penalties or criminal charges, depending on any damage caused by the fireworks.
City officials moved to outlaw fireworks after the 2017 Eagle Creek Canyon fire that scorched 48,000 acres in the Columbia River Gorge and the deadly Heidi Manor apartment fire that killed three people in 2021.
Eugene also enacted a ban on fireworks in 2022 “due to the fire danger they pose and their impact to people and pets,” city officials said.
Milwaukie joined Portland in February last year to prohibit the sale, possession and use of fireworks within city limits. City officials threatened fines of up to $1,000 for violating the ban. City officials said in a statement that the danger fireworks pose to homes and forested areas, as well as the impact they can have on veterans, prompted the decision.
Those looking to hop the river into Vancouver to light fireworks won’t have much luck there either. The city banned them in 2016, and will levy civil fines as well.
Fireworks are also outlawed on all state and federal forest lands, state beaches, parks and campgrounds. Anyone caught lighting fireworks in national forests could be fined $5,000 or be sentenced to up to six months in jail, according to the U.S. Forest Service.
Restrictions
Other cities such as Gresham, Troutdale and Lake Oswego enforce the state’s restrictions on fireworks, which prohibit anything airborne. The list of cities that follow the state’s restrictions also include:
- Beaverton
- Happy Valley
- Hillsboro
- Oregon City
- West Linn
- Wilsonville
- Tualatin
- Tigard
Sky lanterns, missiles, rockets, firecrackers, cherry bombs, M-80s, Roman candles and bottle rockets are all off limits for individual use. Officials may confiscate illegal fireworks and those who have them could be charged with a misdemeanor and fined up to $2,500.
That leaves sparklers, smoke devices and fountains for Fourth of July celebrations. Wheels and ground spinners have state approval, too.
Authorized fireworks shows
Personal fireworks might be illegal in many urban settings, but there are several fireworks displays popping up across the Portland metro area.
The four-day Waterfront Blues Festival will kick off with a fireworks show Thursday night over the Willamette River, with tickets priced at $45 for those over 12. Oaks Park’s annual Fourth of July Spectacular runs noon to midnight, with tickets priced at $38 for ages 3 and older. Both displays may be viewed for free from various parks, public sidewalks and streets around the city, though police discourage motorists from stopping in traffic to glimpse the shows.
Many other cities have opted for parades, festivals or alternative shows in place of fireworks.
READ: Fourth of July 2024: Your guide to Oregon parades, rodeos, live music, fireworks
— Austin De Dios covers Multnomah County politics, programs and more. Reach him at 503-319-9744, adedios@oregonian.com or @AustinDeDios.
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