If you’ve been following the fireworks debate in Camas, there is good and bad news for both sides.
Camas city leaders rejected an outright ban on personal fireworks, but have limited their discharge to two days each year instead of the current three days. The Camas City Council voted 5-2 — with council members Greg Anderson and Melissa Smith, an outspoken fireworks opponent, voting no — Monday night to limit the use of personal fireworks to the July Fourth and New Year’s Eve holidays.
The city council also voted, this time unanimously, to beef up the city’s fireworks enforcement and allow police, code enforcement officers and the fire marshal to issue code violations to anyone caught discharging fireworks outside of the allowed time periods.
Effective later this month, just in time for the upcoming Independence Day holiday, violators will face hefty fines: $250 for the first violation, $500 for the second, $750 for the third and $1,000 for each subsequent violation within a three-year period.
The Camas -Washougal Fire Marshal’s Office (FMO) and local law enforcement say they will “aggressively enforce the regulations” and will be on patrol within the city limits of Camas and Washougal this Fourth of July holiday season to enforce city ordinances. Fire Marshal Ron Schumacher cautioned that “using illegal fireworks or discharging fireworks outside of legally permitted dates and times may result in a fine and the possible confiscation of your fireworks.”