Here’s how many people were fined for using illegal fireworks in Tacoma this year
Tacoma police issued seven $513 infractions and 56 warning letters for illegal fireworks between July 2-4.
In the same time period, they responded to 582 firework complaints. Police also responded to one fireworks-related injury and took two arson complaints, according to department records.
Tacoma doubled the fine for using illegal fireworks this year from $257 to $513.
Last year, Tacoma police issued no firework infractions, said department spokesperson Wendy Haddow.
Haddow said it can be difficult for police to witness people setting off fireworks.
“By the time (police) get there, most often than not, the fireworks are no longer going off, and pinpointing a location or a person you can issue an infraction to is difficult,” Haddow said.
Tacoma Fire Department responded to 2,093 incidents between June 26 and July 6, according to a report released early this month. Of those, 206 were fires, with 44 being fireworks-related:
5 dumpster fires.
31 grass, brush or tree fires.
1 structure fire.
7 “other” outside fires.
TFD treated three fireworks-related patients.
The fires caused an estimated $45,041 in damages, with approximately $45,000 of the damages coming from a structure fire at the 5600 block of South Thompson Avenue.
