NEWPORT – The City Council is considering a permanent ban on retail fireworks after enacting a temporary ban last summer.

Newport is one of the few cities in Lincoln County that allows the sale of personal fireworks, but it may not be for long. The city has an ordinance that allows a temporary ban on sales if weather conditions create dangerous conditions. The council banned them last summer, citing an increased fire risk because of the dry and hot weather.

At the time, a few members of the public voiced opposition to a ban, forcing the city council to weigh tradition with caution. And now, the city is considering fully embracing safety and falling in line with other cities in Lincoln County.

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.

Last year, the temporary ban on the use of fireworks but not their sale created a “bizarre” confusing situation, Councilor Robert Emond said during a workshop Monday, Feb. 2. “I think in my mind, there’s no question that it should be banned along with the rest of the county.”

Councilors directed city attorney Tiffany Johnson to draft an ordinance to permanently ban retail fireworks but does not affect fireworks such as sparklers and devices that do not shoot in the air.

The ban would not affect the large commercial firework show that takes place in Newport every July 4.

— Shayla Escudero/Lincoln Chronicle