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According to witnesses, a fireworks mortar lit on a downtown sidewalk on Sunday August 24th set these trees and occupied home on fire. The house could have burned to the ground if not for the immediate response of attentive neighbors and Renton Fire Authority.
Emergency responders at the scene of August 24th fireworks blaze
Carter Farmer, who lives within a few hundred feet of the fire, had previously spoken to Renton’s Mayor and City Council on July 7th, seven weeks before this fire. She had warned that ongoing fireworks were continuing to be a problem in her neighborhood, and she had asked for better enforcement of fireworks laws.
Fireworks are illegal in Renton. In 2006 Renton voters voted 62.57 % – 37.43% to keep them illegal, confirming a 2004 vote by Renton City Council that first made fireworks illegal. But enforcement of the ban has recently seemed spotty to non-existent, and many residents are now understandably complaining. Among them is Carter Farmer, a North Renton neighborhood resident who took the Mayor and Council to task at a council meeting on July 7th, demanding action, after having sent them numerous emails and suggestions on the subject in previous years. Ms. Farmer’s testimony can be watched here on the City’s Youtube Channel, at 41 minutes and 30 seconds in. About seven weeks after she gave her testimony, a home near hers was set on fire by fireworks.
Renton’s voters and Renton Council made fireworks illegal after there were simply too many documented incidents of structural fires and wildfires, emergency room visits, and distress by residents and animals caused by fireworks on our streets. In the year before the Council ban, both a new home and a City Parks Building burned to the ground after being set on fire by fireworks. As urban wildfires across the west become more deadly every year, the ban on fireworks only makes more sense.
The year that Council implemented the fireworks ban in 2004, we knew many residents would miss the excitement, brilliance, and percussion of Fourth of July fireworks, so we initiated a new tradition of a professional fireworks show at Coulon Park. While we knew that some residents may be tempted to light their own, we felt that holding the professional fireworks show and a city 4th of July celebration at our biggest beach park allowed us to direct fireworks enthusiasts to the show instead– providing a necessary alternative to lighting fireworks throughout the whole city. But a couple years ago the professional fireworks show was stopped, and this year Coulon Park was not even open for fourth of July BBQs after 7:00 PM.
The first year Renton cancelled the Coulon Fourth of July celebration, 2023, fireworks did a million dollars of damage at the Landing and put three businesses out of commission for a year. The next year Renton experienced a threatening wildfire caused by fireworks, in which an apartment building could have been lost if not for the immediate response from Renton Fire Authority.
My recommendation would be to restore the City 4th of July Celebration, and simultaneously warn residents that Renton intends to aggressively enforce the fireworks ban in future year, with more fireworks confiscations and fines for violators. Then, as we’ve done in the past, Council should insist on getting reports from Police and Fire Chiefs after each 4th of July with metrics about how many citations were issued and pounds of fireworks confiscated. And Council should hold public meetings to gather ideas from residents like Ms. Farmer regarding how to better enforce the ban.
Some of the fireworks being lit in Renton violate just city laws, but many are also in violation of state laws. Fireworks that send projectiles into the sky or make loud percussion sounds (booms) are not legal anywhere in the State of Washington outside of Reservation land (Reservation lands are subject to Federal Laws and Tribal laws, which allow some aerial and percussion fireworks when manufactured and sold to certain standards). Penalties for lighting fireworks that are illegal in the state could be made more severe than penalties for lighting fountains, ground-flowers, or smokers. In any case, all of these are illegal in Renton outside of licensed shows, based on a democratic decision by nearly two out of three of Renton’s voters. And while it may remain challenging to stop every violation on the evening of the 4th of July, there should be no tolerance for continued fireworks use through the summer– it’s just too dangerous to our residents’ lives and property.
I would enjoy hearing from readers on this topic. Please feel free to comment with your ideas, perspectives, and suggestions. You may leave comments anonymously if you choose.
All I ask is that if you’re going to do it, just keep it to the 4th. Trickling the mayhem over then next weeks is just rude.
Weeks , it’s months ! Starts in June and this house was lit on fire by fireworks the end of August!
During a talk on the block event with the mayor he was asked why he was ignoring the subject and he said he wasn’t. The response to him was “Yes you are!”
The fireworks start in June and this fire was at the end of August. Despite the 3 businesses that were damaged because of fireworks at the Landing, Viet-Wah Asian Food Jan 25 , numerous other fires , city council continues to refuse to even raise the fine , and make it a noise violation. The mayor says it won’t do any good. I’ve offered a whole list of ideas starting 2 years ago. The council mostly ignores my emails, and takes no action.
I understand Randy’s idea that one official day of fireworks might give people an outlet , yet I disagree.
People lighting fireworks June – August, and on New Years Eve , at all hours are not doing it because they were deprived of fireworks for a day .
There was no less fireworks being lit for months when fireworks were at the park July 4th .
Fireworks hurt veterans , pets , wildlife and the environment.
Surely decent considerate people can find multiple ways to enjoy themselves without doing so much damage . Imagine it’s your house or business burnt .
I talked to a disabled veteran who drives his van out to the middle of nowhere and sleeps in it every July to avoid the fireworks, which are a nightmare for him .
Illegal Fireworks are set off all-year-long. Many excuses including: SeaHawks game scores. The same folks do it repeatedly, so locations are known. It’s time for officers’ investigation, confiscation and penalties for this dangerous behavior. Please prevent Fireworks damage!
Thank you
I live two houses down from Carter Farmer and have witnessed the absoute chaos that surrounds the 4th celebrations. From the moment they go in sale, downtown Renton becomes a different landscape.
The kind and friendly neighbors I know and love, go into panic
They worry for their historic homes, in our amazing historic neighborhood. Most of my neighbors have a dog or two and the proximity of the downtown street fire works sends them in to terror. Ask your local animal control department and you’ll see the stats.
All in all, I believe that what HISTORIC downtown Renton wants, it’s an absolutely enforced fireworks ban in downtown Renton. The fine should be at least $1000.00. People need to know it’s serious. If you enjoy fireworks, please enjoy at a surrounding, endorsed fireworks event.
GO Renton! I love Renton so much!!!
Thank you kind neighbor
I live a few houses down from Carter on Williams Ave North and personally witnessed the residential fire as it happened. The ONLY reason the poor elderly couple whose home was caught on fire is still with us today is because their neighbors were able to fight and contain the fire long enough for Renton Fire to arrive and save the house. But the homeowners had to be woken up and escorted out of the house while it was still on fire. One of these days, very soon, our Mayor & Council’s inability to address this danger will cost a Renton resident their life…
Thank you for your comment Tom, and more importantly, thank you to and your caring, heroic neighbors for saving the lives of these precious residents.
This event should be an arson investigation, and should be more widely publicized to serve as a warning to others. On July 7 a resident of the Livermore Valley where I grew up was jailed and charged with Arson for starting a small grass fire with fireworks. The grass fire was quickly extinguished, but that did not keep the suspect out of jail. That’s how seriously they take fireworks in California after years of unthinkable catastrophes. And in that California case, the fireworks didn’t set an occupied house on fire the way this fire in Renton did.
We must take the firework threat seriously, and not normalize letting people just run away after setting an occupied home on fire in commission of a fireworks crime.
I’ve sent articles about how CA takes fireworks seriously to renton council 2 years ago , asking they emulate. All I get in return is nothing and excuses.
I sent article about city where nursing home burned down and people died. Afterwards city upped the fines and jail time . People caught with a cache of fireworks can get a 50,000 fine . Meanwhile Pavone won’t even raise the ridiculous low fine here of about 100 bucks .
Let’s not wait until people die .