Fireworks prohibited in some jurisdictions, precautions advised in others
CHERYL SCHWEIZER | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 hours AGO
Senior Reporter Cheryl Schweizer is a journalist with more than 30 years of experience serving small communities in the Pacific Northwest. She began her post-high-school education at Treasure Valley Community College and enerned her journalism degree at Oregon State University. After working for multiple publications, she has settled down at the Columbia Basin Herald and has been a staple of the newsroom for more than a decade. Schweizer’s dedication to her communities and profession has earned her the nickname “The Baroness of Bylines.” She covers a variety of beats including health, business and various municipalities. | June 29, 2026 1:05 AM
EPHRATA — Fireworks have always been one of the traditions of celebrating the nation’s birthday. In 2026, however, people are being advised to be cautious with them – if they’re set off at all.
On Monday, the Grant County Commissioners will consider a ban on fireworks in the unincorporated areas of the county. Moses Lake Fire Chief Art Perillo said the recommendation comes from the Grant County Fire Marshal, after a week of fires in multiple locations.
“The reason for it is the conditions we’re experiencing,” Perillo said.
It's been a dry summer already, said Erick Brittain, chief for Grant County Fire District 7.
Brittain and GCFD 7 crews were on the Garrad Road fire last week, he said, which started near Dry Falls and ended up burning about 3,500 acres, spilling over into GCFD 7. Fires were reported in multiple locations in Grant County last week, from Coulee City to Mattawa.
Brittain said it’s a not a good year for people to be shooting off fireworks – and in some cities it’s prohibited, including Soap Lake. Fire District 7 provides fire services to the city.
“The city ordinance has never allowed fireworks in Soap Lake,” Brittain said. “We will be very diligent in enforcement.”
Moses Lake doesn’t allow fireworks within the city limits either, Perillo said. Nor does Ephrata.
“The city (of Ephrata) does not allow fireworks within the city limits at any time,” said Rob Miller, city clerk and public information officer.
Quincy Police Chief Ryan Green and Grant County Fire District 3 Chief David Durfee issued a joint statement Friday reminding Quincy and GCFD 3 residents of the rules for using fireworks.
They are allowed in the Quincy city limits but are restricted to 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 3 and 9 a.m. to midnight July 4.
“Respect these rules to avoid potential legal consequences,” Green and Durfee wrote.
Fire District 3 residents outside the city are subject to Grant County regulations.
Residents of unincorporated Adams County can use fireworks at specified hours through July 5, according to a release from the Adams County Sheriff’s Office. Hours from today through July 3 are 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.; on July 4, permitted hours are 9 a.m. to midnight. Fireworks are permitted on July 5 from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
The city of Othello does allow fireworks on a more restricted basis. Hours are 9 a.m. to 10 p.m. July 1 through 3, and 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. July 4.
Washington law applies in many locations, including Royal City, Warden, Ritzville and Lind. State law allows the use of fireworks through July 5; hours are 9 a.m. to midnight through July 4, then from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. July 5. Mattawa allows fireworks through July 5, but hours are more restricted, from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Green and Durfee recommended that people familiarize themselves with what’s allowed in the local jurisdiction before they buy. Some fireworks purchased on tribal lands are legal, but others aren’t, the ACSO release said.
The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation announced May 13 that fireworks sales and use would be banned within the reservation for 2026.
ARTICLES BY CHERYL SCHWEIZER
Fireworks prohibited in some jurisdictions, precautions advised in others
EPHRATA — Fireworks have always been one of the traditions of celebrating the nation’s birthday. In 2026, however, people are being advised to be cautious with them – if they’re set off at all.
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MOSES LAKE — Six Moses Lake City Council members publicly repudiated comments made by councilman Victor Lombardi, at the regular council meeting June 23.
‘We want to be the best little fair possible’: NCW Fair respects tradition while staying up to date
WATERVILLE — The NCW Fair is the sort of fair where people can stroll through the barns of livestock entries and talk to their owners, take a leisurely look at the quilts and photographs in the arts and crafts building, check out the entries in the horticulture, food preservation and baking categories, and stop for a bite of fair food, maybe even one of the cinnamon rolls from the Douglas County Wheat Wives competition. (Oh man, those cinnamon rolls. They’re not only a tradition, for some people they’re one of the main attractions.) A small town fair, and that, said Carolyn Morley, the NCW Fair director, is fine with both the people who put it on and who attend it. “Our fair is a small fair, and the last seven years we’ve kind of leaned in on that,” Morley said. “It’s like that hometown county fair feeling. It just brings you back to your roots.”