King County Bans Fireworks In Unincorporated Areas

KING COUNTY, WA — Under new legislation approved by the Metropolitan King County Council Tuesday, all consumer fireworks will become illegal in unincorporated areas in 2022.

The law, sponsored by councilmembers Claudia Balducci and Joe McDermott, bans all devices classified as fireworks, including smoke bombs and sparklers. State law requires a full year before such bans can take effect, but it will be in place before July 4, 2022.

Council members pointed to fireworks-related incidents across the state, including tragedies that have struck close to home.

"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," McDermott said. "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."

In 2019, a fire caused by fireworks killed a 70-year-old man, two dogs, and displaced a dozen others. Many community members have also expressed concerns about fireworks triggering PTSD, and first responders have called them "a clear public risk and public health hazard," officials said.

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

Council members said the wider ban aligns more communities with existing rules in most other jurisdictions, cutting down on confusion over the laws from town to town. Professional, permitted fireworks displays are not affected by the new restrictions.

Before the new ban takes effect, the county is developing a strategy for enforcing the ban, which will include "immediate, unarmed, non-police responses" for violations.