King County Council bans fireworks countywide, starting in 2022

For years, those looking to dodge the fireworks ban in Seattle could light off Roman candles in White Center or other unincorporated parts of King County to celebrate the Fourth of July.

But that's going to end in 2022, as the King County Council on Tuesday passed a ban on all fireworks — including sparklers and smoke bombs — for the entire county.

“While there are plenty of good reasons to support a full ban on consumer fireworks, I am driven by the tragic loss of life and property in White Center in 2019,” King County Councilmember Joe McDermott said in a news release. “It is past time for King County to do what most cities and parks have already done. People in unincorporated King County deserve the same protections as those living in cities.”

McDermott referenced a 2019 house fire in White Center that killed a 70-year-old man and his dog. The blaze also destroyed the house next door, displacing 12 people.

Most cities in King County have either total bans on fireworks or restrict their use to specific times over the Fourth of July. The news release said the ban would be bringing the rest of the county "in line" with other jurisdictions, eliminating any confusion.

"If it’s a firework, it is not legal in unincorporated King County," the release said.

In 2019, 269 firework-related injuries were reported in Washington, according to the state's Fire Marshal's Office. That was up 30% from the year before. Fireworks also caused 80 fires in 2019, 51 of which were wildfires.

“Personal safety, fire safety, and distress to people and pets are some of the good reasons many King County cities have adopted firework regulations,” King County Councilmember Claudia Balducci said. “It just makes sense to expand these protections to our King County residents.”

The ban, sponsored by Balducci and McDermott, can't go into effect until 2022 because state law requires a one-year waiting period for such a ban, the news release said. 

"In the meantime, county departments will plan for enforcement strategies that involve immediate, unarmed, non-police responses for potential violations and undertake an educational campaign about the new law," the release said.