If a Firework Went Off in the Forest Would Anyone Hear?
ByIt is all fun and games until someone starts a fire.
Early this morning, DuPont’s Fire Department had the intersection of McNeil Street and Ridge View Drive closed while they tended to what appeared to be a fire off of Tract I park at the end of O’Brien Street. The strong smell of smoke was evident through out the night as the sound of fireworks could still be heard as late as 2:00 AM.
This evening, the strong smell of smoke at the intersection is still lurking in the air.
This raises an interesting question regarding when the city invokes its authority to ban fireworks based on the heightened risk of fire in our protected areas. This year, the region has set records for the consecutive days with the lack of rain. Rainfall is below normal even during this typical dry season.
I suppose the reason I ask this question is because of these signs posted near the scene of the fire.
The Fire Department was correct; the conditions did make the risk for fire high. I have no idea whether fireworks started the fire last night, but the fact that people were in this park launching fireworks certainly raises the suspicion that the fire was somehow related to human activity.
Does the sign serve as an appeal to common sense or the honor system? Or, was the City serious about the threat of fire and posted for the sake of protecting people and property? Neither prevailed.
The problem with posting such a sign is that you have to be ready to enforce it. The City clearly was not. Nor were the people of DuPont this weekend. Let’s be honest, it is a tough call to make, finking out your neighbors for a little too much exuberance on the Fourth. You tolerate it to avoid the confrontation and because it is only one day a year.
But this was in a city park and it was after the city mandated curfew. If there was a time to enforce the law you would think that this would be it.
All is well that ends well, I suppose. The weekend is over, it is back to work, and the fire was minor. Maybe next year we will have a little more rain and a fire department solution in place.
I heard the fire trucks driving around during the evening, I think they were being proactive. Nice work guys!
The city missed a great revenue generating opportunity by not enforcing the sign. They could have starting writing tickets at for fireworks violators and then say it was out of their hands with the levy failing. Boom! Instant support for the next ballot!
The fireworks situation on O’Brien has become an annual event. People use that little park as their personal launching pad. We could smell smoke all night long and it isn’t surprising something caught fire. If you came down Ridgeview on Sunday morning there were firetrucks and a detour and you saw proudly displayed a pile of spent fireworks boxes about 3 ft high by 4 ft wide. Anyone driving down O’Brien could see it.
Apparently there was a fire at the golf course Friday nite areound 10:00 PM. We could smell the smoke. The DuPont fire truck came but could not find the fire, apparently Lakewood was called and found the fire. There was alot of expensive military equipment found at the spot of the fire. I don’t think anyone was caught. We should ban all fireworks in DuPont, too many wooded areas.
You ask why not enforce a no fireworks order in the highest fire danger in recent history? A few tickets would have pissed a few people off, but a healthy fire would have brought new life to their cause. BTW I just read in the Home Town Clipper that they intend to update the DuPont Municipal Code 13 (Fire Department) to meet current conditions and delivery models. What is the rush??? Are they worried that their survey will show that the majority of citizens want a combination fire department? Are they changing the code to take that option off the table?
It is an interesting question on how the city planned to enforce the warning. I think setting off fireworks was still allowed on private property but doing so on city land is forbidden. As usual the city website offers no clarification.
We had aerial fireworks going off in our neighborhood. I thought those were banned. Couldn’t find anything on the City website to stake my claim so callinhg the police was out of the question.
I think the main point is there are signs everywhere with no explanation how it can be enforced. What is the fine? Who do we call? Is it considered an emergency? If we call will there be action?
Why is something important like this not on the front page of the city website!?
From the DMC regarding fireworks:
9.12.010 Limitations.
No person shall use or explode any fireworks within the City of DuPont except between 12:00 noon and 11:00 p.m. on the second, third, and fourth day of July of any year; provided, that the City Council sitting in regular or special session may, by motion, more severely restrict the time limit and place for, or completely ban the use of, fireworks when the City Council finds that conditions warrant a more severe restriction; provided, that this prohibition shall not apply to duly authorized public displays where the same are authorized pursuant to the laws of the State of Washington or the ordinances of the City of DuPont.
10.03.070 Fireworks.
The display, possession and use of fireworks are prohibited in all parks except with prior written permission from the City of DuPont.
In other words, they were legal (except the ones in the City Park) and there is no fine attached because Council didn’t completely ban them even though the dry conditions would have warranted it.
There have been several requests by citizens asking council to ban smoking in city parks. Cigarette butts starting brush fires was one of the reasons given for the ban. It has fallen on deaf ears.
If you’ve had enough with the firework craze in Dupont, check out this petition: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/74/support-the-ban-of-consumer-fireworks-in-dupont-wa
Please sign it, if it reflects your opinion on the issue and forward it to your friends and neighbors who might be interested in supporting a ban on consumer fireworks use in Dupont.
I’ll sign it when I sign the petition to ban, “Lighting, Cigarettes, BBQ’s, Space heaters”
I think we should remember the only house ever burned down wasn’t from Fireworks here.
Since people who sign it surely wouldn’t leave the city to light fireworks somewhere else. I mean “Let’s light fireworks but burn down someone else’s property” isn’t a good thing either.
Let’s form a 4TH of July Fire Watch a group of people stationed at various locations (Sequalitchew, Lower Canyon, Golf Course, Edmond Marsh) and provide a watch service.
Yeah, a watch group. We don’t need no stinking badges.
Let’s form a headquarter on O’Brien St where some of the fire starters live.
I think an over reaction to ban everything is not unexpected. The city was typically crappy in their communication, this time of the fire threat. Worse yet, they are now in reaction mode (again) to angry and concerned citizens. Will City Hall ever learn? You write the law, now enforce it! You should have acted on the county burn ban then unstead of now–AFTER the fire.
A watch group? To watch the city not enforce the law already on the books?
Tell the city council “The roof! The roof! The roof is on fire we don’t need no water let the M***F***-ER burn”.
[...] While it is great to feign outrage at fireworks igniting both blazes, one has to seriously consider why the DuPont leadership did not take action sooner (see the RealDuPont post from July 5th). [...]
Watch group? That’s an interesting idea! We saw police did not do a thing to stop fireworks shot by a drunk guy well past midnight on July 5th on Hoffman Hill. And what do you expect a watch group to do? The only way to deal with most (if not all) of the fire and property damage issues that come out around July 4th, is simply by banning CONSUMER fireworks use within the city limits. There is no trully safe area in Dupont to shoot consumer fireworks. That’s the main reason to ban them. Besides, there are more reasons: environmental hazzards, health hazzards, you name it.
Sunshines,
The watch group isn’t for enforcement, it’s for notification of a newly started fire before it grows very large. Of course many calls to 911 regarding Arson and Drunk and Disorderly would work as well.
Heck fires are not all that bad:
Positive Effects:
Fire allows pitch pine to remain the dominant tree species in much of New Jersey’s Pinelands.
A fire’s heat opens serotinous pine cones and allows their seeds to fall to the sandy forest floor.
After a fire, the sandy floor of the Pinelands forest serves as a perfect “potting” medium for the growth of future pine seedlings.
Many Pinelands plants, such as the Pine Barrens Gentian, thrive only in a disturbed or burned over area.
Fire stimulates the growth of tender new shoots on trees and shrubs, thus providing abundant browse for Pinelands forest animals like the White-tailed Deer.
Prescribed (controlled) burning reduces forest floor litter and lowers the risk of dangerous wildfires.