Despite the bans, July 4th fireworks at the coast overrun police agencies, who say they’ll focus on critical calls

By GARRET JAROS/Lincoln Chronicle

Just to be clear — all fireworks but smoke bombs and sparklers are banned across all of Lincoln County with the exception of Siletz and Toledo — where fireworks legally sold in Oregon will be allowed.

Again, except for those exceptions — whether on beaches, in campgrounds, state parks, forests, public lands, backyard barbeques, private driveways, vacation rentals or in the middle of the street with a volunteer firefighter and a bucket of water on hand — all fireworks are banned.

Of course, if compliance with the ban goes as well as it did last year that means neighborhoods and beaches will be a war zone of competing aerial displays supplemented with body-shaking booms and arsenals of ground-based pyrotechnics that pop, crackle, fizzle, whistle and whirl.

None of that is news to police departments in Lincoln County which will do their best with limited staff to put a lid on the worst offenders over a holiday weekend that will see the county’s population of 51,000 swell with visitors from near and far.

“We get countless numbers of fireworks complaints on the Fourth of July and we don’t have the resources or ability to respond to all of them,” said Newport Police Chief Jason Malloy. “If it is a life-safety event we will respond, but often you see the fireworks but have no idea where they are coming from.”

Newport police will attempt to respond to reports of reckless use that endangers people and property but for general fireworks complaints, the best the agency can do is log them and total them at the end of the day.

“I think we take the same approach that Lincoln City and the sheriff’s office do, which is that while even legal fireworks (in Oregon) are banned due to fire danger, we don’t have the resources to go out and deal with families that bought those,” Malloy said.

Making a plea to the public to be safe with fireworks does not make much sense, he added, because it only encourages there use – “So we ask that they just don’t do it.”

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office will also focus on egregious offenders.

“We will be addressing the most at-risk ones,” said Lt. Karl Vertner. “The ones that risk life and property that are unlawful for Oregon, which would be anything that flies in the air and explodes. And then we will address the Oregon legal fireworks which are ground based, but unlawful for Lincoln County, as time allows.”

Vertner encourages people to go see the commercial aerial shows in Yachats, Waldport, Devils Lake and Lincoln City, which is hosting a first-for-the-coast drone display instead of traditional fireworks.

Lincoln City, which sees a massive uptick in visitors during the holiday, is throwing everything it has at enforcing the fireworks ban.

“On the Fourth of July in Lincoln City it’s an all hands-on-deck event, which means it’s mandatory overtime for the entire department to be working,” said Sgt. Torin Liden. “So that almost quadruples our staffing for a normal patrol day.”

In addition to a patrol team handling everyday calls for service, there will be patrols dedicated to responding to fireworks calls “as we can, when they come in” along with two all-terrain vehicle beach patrols and foot patrols at the drone display in Taft.

“We are more focused on safety right now,” Liden said. “The city does have its own ordinance making all fireworks illegal and we do enforce that and we’ll be seizing fireworks, but the primary focus is making sure people are having a safe and fun Fourth and not trying to cause anger and discontent. We want to make sure everyone is having a good time.”

While all law enforcement agencies encourage people to call their main numbers with fire work complaints – they also want to make clear not to call 9-1-1.

The Newport Police Department, which has an active and often humorous social media account, posted a tongue-in-cheek graphic on its Facebook page entitled “Handy Guide For Calling 911 on the Fourth of July” in which it listed when not to call and when to call the emergency only number.

• Garret Jaros covers the communities of Yachats, Waldport, south Lincoln County and natural resources issues for the Lincoln Chronicle and can be reached at GJaros@YachatsNews.com

Pyrotechnics not enjoyable for people with PTSD, can harm animals and environment

By the Lincoln Chronicle

Bombs bursting in air may be July 4 tradition, but they’re nothing to celebrate for some people, animals and the environment.

Military veterans and civilians with post-traumatic stress disorder can suffer anxiety and fear when exposed to the thunder and shockwaves of traditional fireworks. Terrified pets can run away — and into danger. Wild animals can flee their nesting or migration sites. And air, water and plastics pollution can linger long after the booming ends, posing health risks to all.

Add to the list of negatives the potential for wildfires, and it’s easy to see why communities around the country including Lincoln City this year are moving to safer, less damaging alternatives, like laser or drone light shows.

“As beautiful as they are, the sounds, smells and shockwaves of fireworks can be triggering for veterans with … PTSD,” according to Annie Tang, staff psychologist at Edward Hines, Jr. Veterans Administration Hospital in Cook County, Ill.

Quoted on the federal VA website, Tang says fireworks “can bring up emotional and physiological reactions, and bring up trauma memories from the past, which can bring up intense anxiety and fear.”

Domestic animals such as cats, dogs, horses and others can feel desperate to escape the noise and light of fireworks. “The Fourth of July not a time of celebration for pets,” says the Oregon Humane Society. “Every year, animal shelters have their hands full dealing with lost dogs and cats who bolted on July 4^th,” the group says.

In the wild, the impact can be just as serious. “The shock of fireworks can cause wildlife to flee, ending up in unexpected areas or roadways, flying into buildings … abandoning nests,” according to the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service. Fireworks also have potential to start wildfires, the agency notes, while the litter from pyrotechnics can pose choking and poisoning hazards.

Further, the chemical and microplastic debris left by conventional fireworks can damage marine life as well as land-based creatures.

Pollution, health risks, ER visits

According to the American Lung Association, the smoke released by fireworks explosions contains harmful gases and metals. And, the association cites a study showing that air pollution levels soared an average of 42 percent after one particular July 4. This pollution can create or worsen breathing issues, especially for children and older people.

“Are Fireworks Bad for Your Health?” asks a webpage published in June by the American Cancer Society. The answer appears to be yes: the small particles released by fireworks increase the risk of cancer, respiratory issues and even heart problems.

The picture is even darker when it comes to personal, or backyard, fireworks. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, 14,700 people nationwide were treated in emergency rooms last year for fireworks injuries. A total of 37 percent of the injuries were burns; 11 deaths from fireworks were reported.

It is illegal to use personal fireworks that shoot into the air and explode in most Oregon cities. Fireworks of any type are banned in unincorporated areas of Lincoln County.