As Portland speeds toward the Fourth of July holiday, firefighters and other emergency workers are reminding people that it remains illegal for individuals to shoot off fireworks within Portland city limits. (And elsewhere in Oregon and southwest Washington, for that matter.)

Last year, many people seem to have forgotten.

In 2021, when Portland’s then-temporary ban on fireworks went into effect, just 15 of the city’s 307 reported fires from June 24 to July 7 were related to fireworks. The number dipped to 10 out of 224 in 2022, when the permanent ban took hold.

But last year?

Out of 336 reported fires immediately before, during and after July 4, 2023, 46 were connected to fireworks. That’s about as many fireworks-connected blazes as firefighters battled annually in each of the years just before the Portland City Council enacted the ban.

Portland officials imposed the permanent ban after fireworks caused two particularly devastating fires in the Portland area.

In September 2017, a 15-year-old boy from Vancouver ignited a blaze that consumed 48,000 acres in the Columbia River Gorge after he threw a smoke bomb into Eagle Creek Canyon.

And on July 4, 2021, a deadly fire sparked by discarded fireworks in a dumpster at the Heidi Manor apartment complex in Northeast Portland forced residents to jump from balconies and killed three people.

Jason Andersen, lead investigator for Portland Fire and Rescue, said those who violate the ban may face civil penalties or criminal charges, depending on the severity of any damage caused by the fireworks.

The Fire Bureau will increase its enforcement personnel on July Fourth, which is customary, said spokesperson Rick Graves.

Officials are also asking people to refrain from calling 911 to report loud noises and to reserve the emergency number for events that pose a significant risk to people’s lives and property.

On a typical busy day, 911 operators can see up to 200 calls per hour. That number doubles around the Fourth of July, said Jaymee Cuti, a Portland Bureau of Emergency Communications spokesperson.

“If you hear a loud firework, that is not what 911 is for,” Cuti said. “If you need a firefighter, police officer or an ambulance, 911 is here for that.”

— David Nuñez covers breaking news and public safety for The Oregonian/OregonLive. Reach him at 503-294-7607 or dnunez@oregonian.com.

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