Bend Police Department And Bend Fire & Rescue Remind Community Of Fireworks Ban, How To Report -06/21/24
Summer is warming up, and with the July 4 holiday quickly approaching, the City of Bend Police Department and Bend Fire & Rescue wish to remind the community about the rules regarding fireworks use in Bend and the surrounding area.
Within Bend city limits, the use, sale and possession of fireworks is banned per City Ordinance. This means that sales tents and in-store purchases of fireworks in Bend are not permitted, and fireworks purchased elsewhere cannot be brought to Bend and discharged.
There are a few novelty items, or “non-fireworks,” that are legal to use in Bend such as smoke bombs, wire core sparklers, snakes and party poppers.
Fireworks outside of city limits must be Oregon-legal. Fireworks that explode, eject balls of fire, fly into the air, or travel more than six feet along the ground are illegal within the state of Oregon.
Violations can result in criminal or civil penalties, including fines per offense. This could mean up to $750 for City ordinance violations, and according to the Oregon State Fire Marshal, as much as $2,500 for firework use violating state law. There could also be costs for damage, injury and services incurred because of noncompliance.
If you are in an area that permits fireworks, please remember to use them safely.
- Have a water source nearby in case of an accident or defective firework.
- Only use fireworks on non-combustible surfaces like gravel or pavement.
- Follow age restrictions. Only adults should light and use fireworks – never children.
- Soak discharged fireworks in water before disposal.
If you want to report the use of fireworks in the city of Bend, you can do so by emailing fireworks@bendoregon.gov. Reporting will not prompt a police or fire response but will allow us to collect data about illegal firework use throughout the city. If you see illegal use of fireworks that is creating an imminent danger to people or property, you should call 911.
Independence Day is one of the busiest days of the year for first responders. The Bend Police Department will have additional patrol teams on hand to deal with the influx of calls, but we ask the Bend community to help our officers by following the local ban on fireworks, which will allow quicker responses to emergencies and avoid a flood of calls to Deschutes County 911 dispatch.
Learn more at bendoregon.gov/fireworks.