With the Fourth of July coming up soon, local authorities are on standby for possible fireworks issues.

Karen Jones, deputy state fire marshal for the Washington State Patrol, said there were 785 fireworks-related cases throughout Washington during the 2008 Independence Day holiday – 518 fires and 267 injuries, 95 of which involved children under the age of 14.

Jones said carelessness is a significant factor when fireworks incidents occur. For example, fireworks that are launched into the air are known for causing problems when people are neglectful.

“Usually what happens is, (after) the person has lit the item, they are not watching where it is landing,” she said.

Jones said failing to confirm that these fireworks have landed safely can lead to problems. She stressed that fires are more prone to happen around dry vegetation.

“If your firework item damages property, it becomes property damage,” she said. “If your firework item hurts someone, it can become bodily harm or assault.” Jones said parents should supervise children at all times when discharging fireworks around them. She said possessing illegal types of fireworks, such as homemade or altered items, can lead to fines of up to $1,000. In addition, using fireworks outside of an allowed time for an area can lead to a fine as high as $500.

Pullman Police Cmdr. Chris Tennant said people may only launch fireworks in Pullman on Friday between 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. and between 9 a.m. to midnight on the Fourth of July. There are no designated areas in Pullman to launch fireworks, but people are advised to light fireworks in appropriate places using common sense, he said.

He said people are free to launch fireworks that were purchased from Pullman stands because they have already been approved for discharge. However, he said residents should be cautious about using fireworks from somewhere else.

“If you buy fireworks outside of Pullman, it is not guaranteed that they will be legal to use,” he said.

Tennant said firecrackers and bottle rockets are two popular prohibited items. Last year, more than 30 fireworks-related calls were made to Pullman Police around the Fourth of July holiday. Five of these incidents led to a citation or arrest, while nine cases are either pending or led to warnings.

Tennant said there were numerous fireworks issues in 2004 and 2005, which included house fires and injuries. He said a city ordinance, issued in 2006 that limited discharge times to two days, has reduced the number of incidents.

Tennant said those in possession of illegal fireworks can be fined $100. People are not allowed to bring fireworks to the city celebration in Sunnyside Park on Saturday.

Richard Dragoo, fire investigator for the Pullman Fire Department, said people should exercise caution when using fireworks. He emphasized reading the instructions of the fireworks item carefully and to have some kind of water source on hand in case something happens.

Dragoo said people should find open areas to light their fireworks. He also stressed that people clean and dispose of the fireworks properly after use. For example, last year, a fire broke out when a man threw used fireworks into a dumpster.

“Fireworks are fun, (but) people need to enjoy them responsibly,” he said.