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Fire Weather Watch issued as dry conditions spark concerns for 4th of July wildfires
Already, a handful of spots have caught fire in Pierce County from fires started by fireworks.
PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - We’re going from bad to worse when it comes to threatening wildfire conditions.
A Fire Weather Watch has been posted for the Fourth of July into Wednesday for warm, dry and unstable conditions.
According to Washington's Department of Natural Resources, all six wildfires burning in the Pacific Cascade Region sparked because of fireworks. If we want to keep people and homes safe and prevent smoke in the air, this is not the time to take chances.
Unincorporated Pierce County is only allowing fireworks on the Fourth, instead of several days before.
"We don't want more fires to start, so having fireworks limited to one day lessens the chance of these fires going on," said Darren Moss with Pierce County Sheriff's Department.
Pierce County has already dealt with a handful of spots catching flames.
There was a car fire on SR-410 that shut down the roadway for several hours. There was additional concern the flames could've spread further up the hill.
"It's been a lot drier than it has in the past," Sgt. Moss said. "We saw one of our vehicles in a pursuit, it stopped in the grass, it caught the grass on fire, and burned our car and the stolen vehicle."
If you are going to be lighting off fireworks, be smart about it. Have a bucket of water ready to toss your used fireworks into.
"It's quite possible that the fireworks still have some hotspots inside it and catch fire," said Mike Halliday with Pierce County Emergency Management. "And then you have an issue in the middle of the night that you're dealing with—which is a garbage can setting on fire."
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You can also create a defensible space around your home by taking care of the vegetation surrounding it.
"If you have neighbors around you who are going to be lighting off fireworks, it's probably a good idea to put your sprinklers out that morning and let them run," Halliday said. "Get your lawn and your flower beds good and wet, so if a firework lands in your yard, then you've got a better chance of it not catching fire."
If you're in an area where lighting fireworks isn't allowed, yet, the neighbors are still popping off, law enforcement ask that you do not call 911. Instead, file a complaint through the non-emergency line.
"We have a lot of patrol calls to go to on the Fourth of July," Sgt. Moss said. "We just had a homicide last night that we were at, which takes a lot of resources."
While it can be frustrating, officials remind everyone that firework complaints are not emergencies, and fall low on the priority list.
"They, again, will get the complaints," Sgt. Moss said. "But [we] still have domestic violence calls, assaults, armed robberies, other things that we have to get. And if we don't have the resources to get to your firework complaint, we ask that you be patient."
If you live in Pierce County, you can report a fireworks complaint online through FireworksReport.com.
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Law enforcement ask that you only call 911 in relation to fireworks if someone is hurt or something is on fire.