Citing logistics and safety concerns, the Port of Camas-Washougal said this week that it will not host its traditional Fourth of July celebration in 2024.
Instead, Port leaders will explore opportunities to hold a smaller, fireworks-free event or partner with other local agencies to put on a pyrotechnics show at a larger venue.
“Never say never,” Port Chief Executive Officer David Ripp said during a Port Commission meeting held Wednesday, July 19. “But for right now, we’re going to revisit or figure out a different plan and just say, ‘We’re not going to have (the July Fourth event) at the Port next year.’”
During the most recent event, held July 4, at the Port, heavy traffic waylaid the attempts of emergency medical technicians to respond to a woman who had suffered a seizure; the large crowd slowed Port employees’ efforts to assist a boater stranded on the Columbia River; and a driver high-centered their vehicle on a large rock after attempting to take a shortcut through the parking lot at the end of the show, Ripp said.
Port Commissioner Cassi Marshall said she had “mixed feelings” about canceling the event.
“Everywhere I go, I hear, ‘That was a great event. We had so much fun,’” Marshall said. “It is something that the community values. But I totally understand all of these constraints and especially the safety (concerns) that come into effect and the emergency response and those kinds of things. We have to take that very, very seriously.”