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Why It Matters
With more than half of Oregon’s counties under drought emergencies and wildfire conditions tightening across the West, state fire officials are urging residents to use caution with fireworks this July Fourth — but they stopped short of imposing any new statewide restrictions ahead of the holiday weekend.
The decision leaves fireworks regulation largely in the hands of local governments, even as neighboring states have moved more aggressively to curb fire risk during what could be a dangerous summer across the Mountain West.
What Happened
Oregon fire officials issued no new statewide fireworks rules heading into July Fourth, despite an active drought emergency that Gov. Tina Kotek declared over wildfire threat in mid-June. The state continues to allow fireworks sales from June 23 through July 6, with local jurisdictions responsible for imposing tighter limits if they choose.
State law already prohibits fireworks that launch, explode, or behave unpredictably unless used by licensed operators, and a ban on fireworks use on public lands is in place. But broader restrictions have not materialized at the state level, and legislative efforts to ban sales or tighten use have consistently stalled in Salem.
The contrast with Utah is notable. Utah Gov. Spencer Cox ordered a statewide fireworks ban running through July 5, a step Oregon has not taken even with its own drought conditions.
State Rep. Dacia Grayber (D-Tigard), who is also a firefighter, was assigned to work July Fourth weekend — her first such assignment in eight years — underscoring how personnel across the state are bracing for fire activity during the holiday.
By the Numbers
- More than half of Oregon counties are under drought emergencies
- Eight Western states were under National Weather Service red flag warnings earlier this week, though that number dropped to two — Colorado and Utah — by Wednesday after rain and cooler temperatures brought some relief
- 50,000 acres burned in the 2017 Eagle Creek wildfire, sparked when a teenager threw fireworks into the Columbia River Gorge
- Nearly $37 million is the fine the teenager responsible for that fire is still paying
- Eight years since Rep. Grayber last had July Fourth weekend off from firefighting duty
Fire Risk Context
Fire officials pointed to the human origin of many Oregon wildfires as a key concern. Erin Zysett, a state fire official, noted that “fireworks remain one of the leading human-caused sources of wildfires” — a warning that carries particular weight given the state’s ongoing drought conditions.
The 2017 Eagle Creek fire remains a vivid cautionary example. That blaze, which scorched 50,000 acres in the Columbia River Gorge, started from a single act of negligence during the Fourth of July holiday. The financial consequences for the teenager who sparked it continue nearly a decade later.
Heath Hockenberry, a National Weather Service official, described the brief weather improvement this week as a “respite that’s going away fast, and we’ll be right back in the heat” — signaling that conditions could worsen again quickly after the holiday.
Zoom Out
The fireworks situation in Oregon reflects a broader tension across the Mountain West and Pacific Northwest, where dry, hot summers increasingly strain traditional holiday practices. Utah’s outright ban stands as one of the more aggressive state-level responses this year. California, Colorado, and Idaho were also flagged earlier this week for elevated fire conditions.
Oregon’s approach — leaning on existing law and local authority rather than new mandates — reflects the political difficulty of restricting a popular tradition. Legislative attempts to ban fireworks sales or significantly curtail use have not advanced in Oregon, suggesting the issue remains politically thorny even as fire officials grow more vocal about the risks.
What’s Next
State and local fire agencies will remain on heightened alert through the July Fourth weekend. Oregonians in drought-affected counties are encouraged to check local regulations before purchasing or using fireworks, as city and county rules may be stricter than the state baseline. With temperatures expected to climb again after a brief cool spell, officials say conditions could deteriorate quickly in the days following the holiday.
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