Camas, Washougal Have Varying New Year’s Eve Fireworks Ordinances

Camas and Washougal have varying New Year’s Eve fireworks ordinances that the public needs to know about, says Camas Washougal Fire Marshall, Ron Schumacher.

“This year like in the last three years, the city limits of Washougal doesn’t allow mortars that explode in the air,” said Schumacher. “Washougal only allows the ‘safe and sane’ fireworks that travel vertically nor more than a foot, and horizontally no more than 6 feet.”

Camas, however, does allow the mortar fireworks. 

You can purchase these products at any fireworks stand, which will be on sale December 29-31 in Camas and Washougal. You can only use them on December 31 — in both cities until 1 am, says Schumacher.

In Washougal, you can be fined $250 on the first offense, which is a civil fine. Camas will not fine residents for using mortars.

“Safe and sane” fireworks are those that are neither projectile nor explosive—basically anything that doesn’t leave the ground.

This includes:

• Fountains
• Sparklers
• Smokeballs
• Snake-type
• Ground-spinning
• Pinwheels
• Most novelty
• Toy-trick noisemakers
• Some crackling items

ILLEGAL

Fireworks that fly, explode or travel more than one foot into the air or more than six feet on the ground.

This includes:

• Firecrackers
• Salutes
• Chasers
• Rockets
• Aerial missiles and spinners
• Mortar-type fireworks
• Roman candle-types
• Any other device (combination or novelty) that is structurally or functionally similar