Jefferson County to explore ordinance for fireworks ban

Published 1:30 am Friday, April 24, 2026

PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County staff have been directed to draft an ordinance to ban fireworks year-round.

The ordinance, if adopted, would go into effect next year.

Also to be drafted is an ordinance to adjust the fee schedule for illegal use of fireworks. Jefferson County Code (JCC) currently has fines set at $1,000.

An adjusted policy, which all three commissioners and Sheriff Andy Pernsteiner supported, would set the first fine at $250, with fines of $500 and $1,000 for successive violations.

The commissioners directed staff on Monday to research a connection between JCC Chapter 8.75, which addresses fireworks, and JCC Title 19, which addresses code compliance and allows for a number of instances of administrative monetary penalties.

County Administrator Josh Peters noted that utilizing Title 19 might allow the county to bypass the one-year waiting period required for new firework ordinances, potentially implementing administrative property-owner fines as early as this year.

Staff also were directed to include language for the ban of possession of fireworks within the county along with discharge.

“Every year, about 15,000 injuries occur because of fireworks nationwide,” said Bret Black, chief of East Jefferson Fire Rescue. “Between 20,000 and 30,000 buildings or fires are started because of fireworks. Easily a majority of those, if not all of them, are started not from professional-grade commercial fireworks. They’re started by consumer civilians.”

The current code allows fireworks to be sold and discharged from June 28 to July 4 and to be sold Dec. 27 through Jan. 1 and to be discharged from Dec. 31 through 1 p.m. on Jan. 1.

County commissioner Greg Brotherton noted the busy and challenging timeframe that the legal window around July 4 can be for first responders, referencing a structure fire that happened over one of the last holidays.

“During that time period, we had a number of other EMS calls that were delayed,” Black said. “We were all assigned to that fire.”

The current policy bans the use of fireworks when a high fire danger level is in effect.

Fire Marshal Brian Tracer shared that, this year, which already has been declared a drought year by the state Department of Ecology, likely will see a high fire danger level before July 4.

“We’re trending towards warmer and drier weather, with an El Nino shaping up for this season that’s comparative to the 2015 season, when we had the Okanogan Complex fires in the east,” said Nick Singleton, a Quilcene Fire Rescue lieutenant.

Brotherton preferred maintaining that method, which is directly associated with atmospheric conditions on given years, and acknowledged that current environmental outlooks likely would mean fireworks would be banned most years in the near future.

Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour questioned whether a full ban might lead to clearer communication and noted that she has heard strong community support for such a ban.

After some discussion, Eisenhour motioned to mirror east Clallam County in banning fireworks every day but Independence Day, which would still be subject to annual bans depending on the fire danger level.

Public comments from Shelley Yarnell and Tom Thiersch expressed that the proposed partial ban was not sufficient or a reflection of the community’s desired outcome.

Ultimately, Eisenhour pulled the motion off the table in favor of a full ban.

Brotherton voted against the year-round ban, noting that he felt he would be voting against the will of his south county constituency.

Tracer presented a concept the commissioners had previously floated around a safe, permitted and monitored area, where the public could light fireworks.

He said he could not find any such examples in the state and that considering the idea led to the conclusion that it could not be deemed safe and would open the county to liability.

Also taking part in the discussion were commissioner Heather Dudley-Nollette, Brinnon Fire Chief Tim Manly, Quilcene Fire Chief Tim McKern, Department of Community Development Director Jeremy Williammee and Prosecuting Attorney James Kennedy.

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Reporter Elijah Sussman can be reached by email at elijah.sussman@peninsuladailynews.com.