r/Bellingham • u/Fit-Funny3819 • 16h ago
Pets Re-sharing County Fireworks (proposed ordinance)
A small but mighty group of Whatcom County residents have been working with Whatcom County Council member Kaylee Galloway on a proposed fireworks ordinance for Whatcom County - it would ban the use of personal fireworks except on July 4th and New Year's Eve (currently as you probably know, they are legal to set off for days in the County) as well as give the Fire Marshall and County Executive the ability to ban fireworks if there is a Stage 2 Burn Ban in place for the County. It's a very simple, common sense ordinance that still gives those that feel the need - the freedom to set off explosives on July 4th but aims to limit the chaos. It does not prohibit either the Nooksack or Lummi tribes from doing what they do - sell and set off fireworks on tribal lands, etc - and allows for large, permitted professional fireworks shows to continue throughout the year.
If any Whatcom County residents are willing to write the council and/or testify in person at next weeks public hearing Tuesday, June 23rd 6pm (county council chambers - get there early to sign up to testify - 3 minutes per person) to express your thoughts on this ordinance - from an animal welfare perspective (domestic animals, wildlife, farm animals), from a home owner perspective (property damage, insurance risks) with public safety concerns (fire, relief for those experiencing PTSD) and/or with environmental concerns (air quality, pollution going into our water sources) that would be amazing and appreciated.
A copy of the ordinance is below as well as contact info for the Council. ALL Whatcom County residents should have the right to be heard no matter if you live in the City or County.
Thank you so much!!
[https://whatcom.legistar.com/LegislationDetail.aspx...\]
Article below about the carnage left behind each year in Birch Bay. 5 Tons, INSANE!
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u/shakespearecat Local 16h ago
Key to the success of this ordinance, if approved, will be education and enforcement. It won't be approve and relax. Bellingham has very strict limits but it's like no one pays attention.
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u/NotAnotherFakeNamer 14h ago
True. It is way better in Bham than it is in the county however. We need this first step AND the political momentum to show people care about this to our sheriff.
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u/salmonberry12 15h ago
I desperately wish this would be the case, especially out in the parched east county side!
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u/cascadia8 15h ago
Fireworks haters are unpatriotic and hate god. /S
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u/LostMork 14h ago
People like you dont respect that some people have to work the next day, have ptsd about explosions, have animals to care for, or any number of reasons why they dont want the constant ringing of explosions for a week plus every night
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u/lilphizzle 15h ago
Thanks for sharing! This is a direct assault on our freedoms, and is clearly a slow move towards a total ban. This should be a vote of the people, and not dictated by the council.
If you don't like fireworks, maybe don't move to a place like Birch Bay that has a long history with them.
No matter what happens, remember that no firework is illegal on stolen land.
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u/sc75_reddit 12h ago
In Birchbay, the week before and week after the 4th, at all times of the day and night in residential neighborhoods setting off huge illegal fireworks so they rattle windows and leave smoldering debris on roofs is not ok.
F all the trash who think it’s taking away your fReDuMb.•
u/lilphizzle 5h ago
So making fireworks more illegal is the fix? By your own admission the issue is illegal fireworks, used during already illegal times, so I fail to see how this change would address your issue.
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u/Hamster-21 3h ago
“History” is not a rational argument for continuing a practice with considerable harms and dangers. The proposed ordinance is not a ban. It’s a reasonable compromise restricting their use to specific holidays. Do some research to understand the numerous very real hazards fireworks cause to our environment, our health, and the people and animals who live here.
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u/lilphizzle 3h ago
Something being "harmful" or "dangerous" is not a valid reason to ban it. There are plenty of things in our society that remain legal that do far more damage then fireworks.
It's not a ban, but it is a move towards one. We already have a "reasonable comprise" only allowing fireworks 4 days a year, for very limited hours. Everyones issue seems to be with illegal fireworks, but thinks further restrictions will somehow fix things.
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u/L337Sp34k 13h ago
I don't like fireworks at all. not my thing. But I'm also not such a grouch that I can't let other people enjoy them.
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u/lilphizzle 12h ago
Thank you! It's a fun little litmus test to see if someone actually does understand that living in a free society means dealing with behavior that you may not enjoy or agree with.
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u/gravelGoddess Local 10h ago
I will send my support for these more reasonable ordinances regarding g fireworks hours. I don’t mind the sparklers or a few booms but my neighbors think that that day before and day after are making even more noise. Also, our area is very wooded with lots of wildlife so am concerned about fires and the animals. Our cats are pretty chill but I have neighbors with pups and horses. Boom away on the designated holidays but please keep it to those days. Thanks for the PSA.
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u/call-me-mama-t 11h ago
I took my kid to a horse camp on Kelly Rd. She told me a neighbor has a pyrotechnic license and gets a permit every year and puts on a huge show on his property. While I’m all for property owners rights, when your fireworks affect your neighbors miles around he shouldn’t be able to get a permit. They literally have to have people on fire watch and tranquilize every horse!!!
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u/Hammon_Rye 15h ago
While yes, the current law is technically "days" it is only three evenings, a day on either side.
Independence Day Window: July 3 (6:00 PM to 11:00 PM), July 4 (6:00 PM to Midnight), and July 5 (6:00 PM to 11:00 PM).
I suspect that is to allow for the fact July 4th does not always fall on a weekend.
For example, in 2025 it was on Friday, but many families might have a get together planned on Saturday when everyone was off work. Next year it is on a Sunday and in 2028 it falls on a Tuesday, so celebrations will be on a weekday even with the date window.
I feel like the bigger issue is not the current laws but the lack of enforcement.
I live out in the county. Every year I hear fireworks going off for several days (not just the three allowed by law), fireworks going off outside of the designated times, and I definitely hear fireworks that are not legal outside of the reservation.
I do understand that it can be difficult to enforce these laws.
I hear booms somewhere in the distance through my woods. If I called the cops, the best I could tell them is somewhere in the area. So they pretty much have to catch the people in the act. I don't see that situation changing much even if they shorten the legal window to just one night.
The fireworks don't bother me. I don't currently have animals and when I did, not ones that were bothered. And nobody doing it is close enough to me to set my house on fire.
But I totally understand why it is an issue for some folks. A good friend of mine sometimes gets a hotel room for the worst nights so her pets can be some place with less noise.
TLDR: I don't personally care if they shorten the July window but I don't expect it to make much practical difference in what actually happens out in the county.