By SHAYLA ESCUDERO/Lincoln Chronicle
NEWPORT — Anticipating a hot and dry Fourth of July, the Newport city council voted this week to ban personal fireworks this summer.
Citing an increased fire risk, the council voted unanimously Monday to ban personal fireworks within city limits until Oct. 15 – sparking some pushback from residents. As councilors weigh tradition with caution, a more permanent ban on fireworks may be on the horizon.
Newport is one of the few cities in Lincoln County that allows personal fireworks, but has an ordinance that allows a temporarily ban if weather conditions create dangerous conditions. The council last banned them during the summer of 2023.
Personal fireworks are permanently banned in Yachats, Waldport, Depoe Bay and Lincoln City. They are also banned in unincorporated Lincoln County and prohibited on beaches, state parks and state and federal forests.
The bans do not apply to the big, sponsored commercial displays – July 4 in Newport and Yachats and July 3 in Waldport. Lincoln City, which permanently banned the use, possession and sale of fireworks in 2022, will hold a drone show this year over Siletz Bay.
During the council’s Monday meeting, fire chief Rob Murphy presented forecasts from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicting the summer will be hotter and drier than normal with a heightened chance of lightning and an increased risk of fires.
A few members of the public voiced their opposition to a ban, declaring the importance of celebrating Independence Day and arguing that weather conditions were often difficult to predict accurately.
“Our family has enjoyed fireworks for all of these years … it’s a big part of our family tradition,” said Aaron Bretz, the director of operations at the Port of Newport.
To councilor Robert Emond, the task was balancing tradition with safety. Emond first leaned towards preserving tradition, but said the recent Los Angeles wildfires gave him pause.
“I’d rather go to the Bayfront and not have my neighbors’ houses burned down,” Emond said. “So, I think that is where I’m tending to lean now, is that as the world’s getting warmer and drier.”
While the temporary ban targets the use of fireworks, it does not ban the sale of fireworks within city limits.
Mayor Jan Kaplan said he was in favor of a permanent ban on the use and sale of fireworks and hoped to further the discussion, especially as technology advances and celebratory displays opt for laser and drone shows. The discussion is likely to be brought up again at the beginning of next year so that retail firework sellers will have notice if there is a permanent ban.
“I appreciate, you know, the sense of tradition around fireworks, and we grew up with that, but we’re living in a different world, and we’re living in a world that the climate is changing, and for me, to put my community at risk and hope that it rains doesn’t feel like a safe way to go,” Kaplan said.
After the council unanimously voted in favor of the temporary ban, a member of the audience booed, while another called the decision “un-American”.
Some of those in opposition to the ban raised concerns over taking time away from law enforcement, but police chief Jason Malloy said that isn’t the case.
“It’s not a proactive thing for us because of time and staffing,” he said. “There are so many people in town and so many other things occurring that it isn’t prioritized.”
- Shayla Escudero covers Lincoln County government, education, Newport, housing and social services for Lincoln Chronicle and can be reached at Shayla@LincolnChronicle.org
I’m in favor of banning personal fireworks. It’s dangerous to people, pets and wildlife.
I agree with Marcy. It is just not realistic anymore to shoot off fireworks with climate changing and animals stressed by the noise. Every year I dread firework season at Nye Beach. It isn’t just one night, it seems to go on all summer long.
Thank you for reminding people they endanger wildlife and cause fires with personal fireworks. Motels in Yachats need to enforce the law with tourists.
I’m all for the ban but I just wish existing laws were enforced, particularly those limiting the kind and size of fireworks that people can possess and ignite.
I live in Beverly Beach and almost every July 4th holiday here sounds like a mortar attack from folks firing illegally large and loud fireworks down on the beach in the state park, often until 1 a.m.. There aren’t enough sheriff’s deputies or OSP patrol people to deal with this, and when I once asked a state park beach patrol ranger why they didn’t do anything about it, he replied, “I’m not going to confront a bunch of drunks.”
I have neighbors who have to give their little dog sedatives so he doesn’t completely freak out, and other neighbors had to drive their large dog to the top of Cape Foulweather and sit there for a couple hours to get away from the noise. And I doubt the repeated window shaking booms are very helpful for veterans or others who might have PTSD.
I wish the cops would do concentrated sweeps on selected areas, confiscating illegal fireworks and ticketing offenders. I don’t see what’s patriotic about blowing junk up and seriously annoying people and pets.
I agree. I doubt if the ban will be enforced in Newport, just as a few other “quality of life” ordinances aren’t enforced. Few of them include fines for repeated violations so if someone wants to set off legal & illegal fireworks, they will, there are no negative consequences for doing so unless they set their home on fire, or someone else’s house on fire or trees, etc.
Truly, one cannot think of anything sillier than banning an activity and then allowing them to be sold in tents throughout the community. No matter how you feel about fireworks.
I agree.
Thank you, Newport, for joining the rest of the county (most of it, anyway) with a ban on fireworks. But it’s very important to ban the sale as well. Too late to do that this year, but please ban them in the future. Let’s make it as inconvenient as possible for people to arm themselves with fireworks.