No “Official” Fireworks Permits issued in the Lake Chelan Valley
By Loni Rahm
No special event applications have been filed with the City of Chelan that would permit any official fireworks, and the fireworks ban remains in effect, but fire departments in Chelan and Manson are on alert for the potential of individual fireworks that may be used to ring in the New Year tonight.
Community members have reported the occasional “blast of fireworks” over the weekend – a disregard of the ban which generally escalates as the New Year is ushered in.
Enforcement of the fireworks ban falls to the Chelan County Sheriff’s Department, who may be stretched thin in the midst of their holiday impaired-driving emphasis.
The use of illegal fireworks may seem more benign during the winter season, but fire danger aside, the impacts often result in personal injury, property damage, lost pets, and trauma to the many people who suffer from PSTD or sleeping disorders.
The fire department recommends the “good old fashioned blowing of horns and banging of pans” to celebrate the New Year. As Manson Fire Chief is often quoted as saying: “leave the fireworks to the professionals.”
The next professional fireworks display in the Lake Chelan Valley is scheduled as part of Winterfest on Saturday, January 19, at 6:45 p.m.
