Fire Marshal releases firework incident numbers

More than 300 incidents were reported this year.

The Washington State Fire Marshal’s Office has released its annual year-to-date report on firework incidents in the state.

According to the department, there were 331 reported firework incidents since the year began, with 297 of those incidents having been reported between June 28 and July 5, which is when fireworks are mostly allowed to be sold and discharged legally in the state.

“The majority of injuries were caused by individuals holding fireworks while they were lit or standing too close to fireworks once they were lit,” the department said in a press release, sendt out Aug. 19. The press release did not break down how many of those incidents were injuries or fires.

In general, firework-related incidents have been declining over the last decade.

In 2008, there were more than 788 incidents reported, and 1236 incidents in 2009, with fires and injuries sharply dropping off in later years. There were 345 incidents reported in 2017, and 301 incidents in 2018; both years reported less than 100 fires, with the rest being injuries.