Prevent fires and pollution with safe fireworks disposal

Proper disposal of used and unused fireworks is essential to protecting the environment, sanitation workers and user safety. Proper disposal includes:

• Soaking used fireworks in a bucket of water overnight, emptying the water onto grass, dirt or other landscaped areas, sealing them in a bag and disposing of the bag in your garbage cart.
• Dropping off unused fireworks, giving them directly to personnel (that is, not leaving the explosives in the lobby or outside), at one of three safe explosive disposal sites in Clark County:
  • Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office, 500 W. Eighth St., Suite 110 in Vancouver, by appointment only (call PHONE NUMBER to make an appointment and receive drop-off instructions).
  • Vancouver Police Department, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday through Friday:
    • East Precinct, 520 SE 155th Ave.
    • West Precinct, 2800 NE Stapleton Road.
    • Check in with office staff before bringing fireworks into the building.

Improper disposal of fireworks puts sanitation workers at risk of injury from fires in garbage and recycling trucks and at waste transfer stations. It also contributes to pollution and fireworks-related injuries.

• Never dispose of any fireworks in your recycling cart.
• Never take unused fireworks to waste transfer stations.
• Never handle altered fireworks or homemade explosives; call 911 to report them for removal by qualified explosives experts.
• Never leave fireworks debris in roadways or dispose of fireworks, or water used to soak spent fireworks, down storm drains; failing to clean up fireworks residue is littering and a violation of state and local laws. Public Works does not provide additional street sweeping after the holiday.

More information about fireworks regulations, reporting illegal fireworks, safety and general information is available on the county’s fireworks webpage.