PORT ANGELES — This year, the Port Angeles Fourth of July celebrations might turn out to be a little less explosive than normal.
Despite exploring myriad possibilities, the Port Angeles Regional Chamber of Commerce has been unable to find a location from which to launch Fourth of July fireworks. There are still one or two prospective launch options being explored, but chamber Executive Director Marc Abshire said the festivities might have to commence without fireworks this year.
“It’s not looking good,” he said.
Over the past several years, the chamber of commerce has launched fireworks from the harbor shoreline at the site of the Port of Port Angeles’ developing Marine Trade Center. That 18-acre property had large enough buffer zones to be a suitable launch point.
Due to recent site development, that location is no longer an option.
Other port property is not suitable due to heavy industrial buildings and other infrastructure, said Caleb McMahon, director of economic development for the port.
“Because of development and growth along the waterfront, that’s kind of made it so there is not a safe location to launch explosives from the shore,” Abshire said. “Too many good things happening.”
The chamber then proposed launching the fireworks off of Ediz Hook. However, to use that location, the city would have to shut down the entire road — even to the U.S. Coast Guard and emergency vehicles. That could create liabilities.
In addition, McMahon said Ediz Hook is far enough away from the rest of the waterfront that it would diminish the spectacle of the fireworks.
“I think there’s a lot of people who are going to think there’s a way to do this, when, believe me, I have turned over every rock possible with respect to a land launch,” Abshire said. “It just can’t happen.”
The chamber next looked at launching the fireworks from a barge — something it’s done in the past. However, the small barge that the chamber used to utilize is no longer moored in the harbor.
While the port has a few large barges it was willing to lend to the celebration, Abshire said they are hard to anchor and require a costly tugboat to be moved.
“I’m working on other solutions, and all of them pretty much involve cost,” Abshire said, noting that the chamber doesn’t necessarily have the funds to pay for the fireworks, a barge, a tugboat and holiday wages.
“For about 35 minutes of fireworks … at some point, you’re just going, ‘It doesn’t make sense financially,’” Abshire said.
As a final push to continue the classic Fourth of July event, Abshire is looking for a community partner who has a smaller nearby barge that could be used. He said the chamber will likely make the final decision on fireworks by May 23.
Whether or not fireworks are offered, the Fourth of July festivities will still include many traditions — the parade, apple pie contest, cornhole tournament, lawnmower derby and more.
Abshire said he’s exploring other activities to help fill the hole left by the fireworks cancellation. One option is to offer tethered hot air balloon rides at Pebble Beach Park, with a balloon that lights up at night.
But even if this year’s celebration doesn’t include fireworks, it won’t be the end of that Fourth of July tradition.
“We’re going to continue trying to find solutions,” McMahon said.
The most likely option is to continue looking for a smaller barge the chamber could use, Abshire said. While he may not find one in time for this year’s festivities, he said enough locals are tied to the maritime industry that someone’s bound to have the necessary connections.
“The bottom line is that fireworks are going to happen in the Port Angeles harbor,” Abshire said. “Just maybe not this summer.”
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Reporter Emma Maple can be reached by email at emma.maple@peninsuladailynews.com.
