Tribal Council Bans Fireworks On Colville Reservation During Summer Season

The Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation have implemented a ban on the sale and use of fireworks on the Colville Reservation this summer.

The Colville Business Council approved the resolution (2026-425) on May 7, following a recommendation from the Tribes' Community Development Committee.

The action is designed to prevent wildfires on the reservation and protect its residents, properties, and infrastructure.

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Officials cited an April drought declaration for all watersheds in Washington State by the Department of Ecology as the principle motivator for drafting the resolution, which was approved via unanimous vote from all eight Business Council members and signed by Chairman Jarred-Michael Erickson.

The resolution will prohibit both the sale and use of any and all fireworks on the reservation's 1.4 million acres of land in both Okanogan and Ferry Counties.

Although outright fireworks bans on the Colville are fairly rare, there have been several over the past decade, including most-recently in 2021, when an emergency resolution was passed banning fireworks from July 1 to October 1 due to persistent hot and dry conditions on its lands; and in 2016 following several devastating wildfires the previous season.

While this year's resolution does apply to the summer season, it will not be in effect during the New Year's and New Year's Eve period for the sale and use of fireworks.