With the countdown to the Fourth at full speed, Mount Vernon and Burlington residents will undoubtedly hear the familiar sounds associated with the celebration — the crack of fireworks and the howl of emergency sirens.

In 2007, there were 1,059 firework-related emergencies reported in Washington state. This included 899 fires and 160 injuries with an estimated $21.5 million in property loss.

“Anything that flies or jumps or hops or skips can pose a real problem,” Mount Vernon Fire Chief Roy Hari said. “It’s not all fun and games.”

Mount Vernon residents can purchase fireworks from licensed retail stands through Saturday. The possession of fireworks after July 5 is prohibited, unless the fireworks are for a religious or private organization’s celebration.

Discharge in Mount Vernon is legal from 9 a.m. to midnight July 4.

A first-offense citation is $50, second offense is $100. Citations can be issued each day an offense occurs.

Burlington is one of 50 cities in the state to ban firework use. Police Chief Bill Van Wieringen said the ban was placed after complaints, mess and safety issues became too much for the city to handle.

Skagit County residents can discharge fireworks purchased from authorized stands from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. through Thursday, from 9 a.m. to midnight Friday and from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday. Using fireworks outside these times is a misdemeanor, punishable by a $250 fine with the possibility of jail time.

Washington State Fire Marshal Karen Jones said some of the biggest safety issues are deploying fireworks at close range and firework tampering. She said there were two reported cases last year of serious injury after users lit handmade firework “bombs” in their hands.

Another issue associated with firework use, Jones said, are fires caused by users who are unaware of where deployed fireworks are landing. In 2006, there were 17 reported school fires caused by fireworks landing in dry areas near the buildings.

In 2007, market resource consultant Gillmore Research Group conducted a study of why these incidents occurred. Jones said results showed citizens were aware of regulations specific to their area yet still chose to ignore them.

“Sometimes people think they can handle that danger,” Jones said. “They think they can be more careful. They don’t understand how fast the reaction of the explosive is.”

Although they can be dangerous, Jones said taking precaution is relatively easy.

When discharging fireworks, Jones said users should be aware of their location and make sure they are far from any dry growth. She also recommends keeping water nearby should a spark catch.

Jones said younger children are the most susceptible to firework curiosity. Only adults should light fireworks, she said, no matter how trustworthy parents feel their children are.

Although fireworks such as bottle rockets, firecrackers and missiles are legal on tribal lands, they cannot be used off reservations. Mortars, missiles and cakes, bundles of small wrapped roman-candle-like fireworks, are not legal in Mount Vernon. Illegal fireworks will be confiscated.

During a City Council meeting last week, Mount Vernon Fire Marshal Glenn Brautaset said the general rule is anything that “goes up and blows up” is illegal.

All fireworks are illegal in areas protected by the Department of Natural Resources. Rich Dodd, fire protection coordinator for the Northwest region of DNR, said these areas include forest, brush, grass or grain areas.

Firework safety education began in Mount Vernon on June 27, a day before stands opened. Mount Vernon Fire Prevention Specialist Erica Work was one of the officers talking to neighborhoods about the dangers. She said the best way to play it safe is to “leave the fireworks to the professionals.”

A public firework display will be held in Mount Vernon at 10 p.m. July 4 at Edgewater Park. The Burlington Les Schwab Fireworks Display will begin at dusk July 5 at the Skagit Speedway, 4796 Highway 99 N. The Lyle Robbins Memorial Event will be at 10 p.m. July 3 at Big Lake.

For more information regarding firework regulation visit http://www.wa.gov/wsp/fire/educamp.htm.