Marysville, Arlington and Tulalip were all worried about Fourth of July fireworks and dry weather conditions – and that was before two arsonists tossed flares from their vehicle, causing about 10 brush fires along I-5 June 30.
Arlington and Marysville both are asking residents not to set off personal fireworks this year because of fire danger. Likewise, the Tulalip Tribes board of directors did not plan to ban fireworks, but Chairman Mel Sheldon was drafting a safety message.
“This is truly why we are emphasizing no fireworks this Fourth of July,” Marysville Fire Marshal Tom Maloney said. “There’s no safe and sane firework this year. It’s just too dry. Watching a professional fireworks show is the safest way to celebrate.”
Mayor Jon Nehring agreed.
“We’ve seen how quickly these fires can get out of control,” he said. “We’re asking residents to do the right thing and find another way to celebrate the Fourth.”
He added the City Council could look at adding a clause in its fireworks law to allow an emergency fireworks ban in the future when similar dry conditions exist.
Last year, crews responded to 27 brush fires or miscellaneous fires around the Marysville; this year, they’ve already battled 55, halfway through the year.
“If even a single ember from fireworks gets into bark or up into the soffits of a house, it can ignite and spread incredibly quickly,” interim Marysville Fire Chief Martin McFalls said.
Arlington has the same concerns.
“Arlington has been putting out information asking our residents to forego using fireworks this year due to the extreme dry conditions,” Mayor Barbara Tolbert said.
Arlington Public Safety Director Bruce Stedman is encouraging residents to attend the big Fireworks Show at the Boys and Girls Club in town.
“I do not anticipate shutting that down,” he said July 1. “We want people to go to that rather than having their own. We will have the fire department on scene.”
Stedman said he has been advocating the City Council for a ban for five years, and because of the dry conditions the council has shown more interest in it this year.
Both cities have had their legal departments looking into emergency bans.
Stedman said that probably wouldn’t be a good idea anyway because more people would just go to the reservation and buy illegal fireworks, which are even more dangerous. He said his police department isn’t big enough to enforce an outright ban, and if they can’t enforce it then police wouldn’t be doing their job.
Stedman said the department has a good relationship with Homeowners Associations in town, and is asking them to contact their members asking that they not shoot off fireworks this year.
He agreed saving them for New Year’s Eve may be an option.
“Just not right now,” he said.
Stedman said he hopes people do the safe thing. Events such as the huge fire in Wenatchee and the I-5 fires locally awareness is high.
“But some people don’t get it,” he said, “especially when they get alcohol in them.”
On the city’s website, it says: “Statewide, the number of reported brush, grass and wild land fires is already 68 percent higher than a normal year… We expect this year to be one of the worst in recent history and urge our citizens to use extreme caution or not use fireworks at all… We strongly urge our citizens not to discharge fireworks during this very dry year. The potential for a fire is just too great.”
As for the arsonists, the Washington State Patrol was looking for two men in their 50s with light-colored hair. They were in a Hyundai Sonata. Anyone with information is asked to call 9-1-1.
Both directions of I-5 were backed up because of sometimes heavy smoke. A number of minor vehicle accidents occurred.
Every Marysville fire rig was deployed at one time, Maloney said. Fires were put out within in hour, but flare-ups continued in the afternoon.
Earlier, a semi truck with a 300-gallon fuel tank caught fire at Donna’s Truck Stop on 116th.
Firefighters from Fire District 17 were on scene at one of the blazes, on the northbound offramp at Fourth Street going into Marysville. Flames shot up as high as 20 feet at times on some of the trees before firefighters arrived.
Gov. Jay Insee joined in the effort late July 1, declaring an emergency in every county in the state and asking people to attend public fireworks shows rather than setting off their own.
