Cal Fire is warning of high fire danger and the measures they are taking to enforce firework safety ahead of the Independence Day holiday.
“The dry grass vegetation across the state coupled with triple-digit temperatures and the wind is the perfect recipe for a disaster,” California State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant said at a briefing Tuesday. “Now when you add fireworks, whether they’re improperly used ‘safe and sane’ or whether they’re illegal fireworks, they can potentially create a catastrophic fire.”
Fire danger is extremely high this year across the state, said Sacramento Metropolitan Fire Marshal Barbara Law. California has already seen 2,934 wildfires in 2024 so far that have burned 139,590 acres. This time last year, the state had experienced 2,593 wildfires that burned 7,812 acres, according to Cal Fire.
Additionally, setting off fireworks can cause spikes in air pollution as excessive smoke and particulate matter is released into the air, according to the Bay Area Air Quality Management District.
“Leave the fireworks to the professionals and enjoy local fireworks displays to help reduce air pollution and wildfire risks,” said Philip Fine, executive officer of the Air District.
In just this past week, law enforcement across the entire state of California took a whopping 120,000 pounds of fireworks out of the illegal market. Within the last year, fire officials, arson and bomb units and other law enforcement agencies seized over 240,000 pounds of illegal fireworks, which is equivalent to the weight of 10 Cal Fire engines, Berlant said.
Across the entire state, any fireworks that explode or fly in the air are illegal unless used by professionals in permitted shows. These include sky rockets, bottle rockets, roman candles, aerial shells, sparklers and firecrackers, according to Cal Fire.
The penalties for possessing, using or selling illegal fireworks in California range from $500 to $50,000. Penalties may be increased depending upon the defendant’s criminal record, the amount and the location of use.
19 comments
You will have to pry my fireworks from my cold dead fingers which are half a block away.
Every year someone or more in my neighbor hood puts on a show. One fall I found a spent large size bottle rocket on my roof. That made me angry.
I hope those those people that use fireworks get thrown in jail. Last year there was huge rockets, exploding just over my house and burning debris raining down onto it.
Seriously?
I hope this is true…but how will they reinforce it. Is there a number we can call to let them know about illegal activity? I have found calling the police is not a very quick response.
That fire on Lime Ridge was right behind my house while I was sleeping.
I understand that we can report illegal fireworks, but it is damned near impossible to identify a perpetrator. We are pretty much at the mercy of the idiots among us.
Much gratitude going out to the firefighters who saved our families and our homes.
Mandates, regulations and ordinances are not laws. All your agencies lost your unconstitutional illegal authority last Friday.
.
I tell you what, you go and get a law passed outlawing fireworks and maybe someone will listen to you. Until then, pound sand policy enforcer.
I think the people who detonate these explosives run away as fast as they can. The police play wack-a-mole all evening and finally go back into the station.
Zero tolerance? That means absolutely nothing nowadays for anything.
But no Jail time, right?
Imagine how embarrassing it would be to have a bunch of tough guy criminals surround you and ask “What’cha in for?”
“uh…. um….Sparklers”
Maybe 5 years of hard time if someone’s fireworks cause loss or property not to mention life. Maybe that will give it pause. But given how many people I pass walking the shoreline waterfront park which is a wildlife refuge which many “no dogs” signs, there they are with their pet bowser and on rare occasion off leash how much they risk a big fine for having that dog there, if only they had park police there as often as they used to.
Obviously even someone with half a brain would know not to take a dog into a wildlife refuge just as anyone with half a brain should know that the launching fireworks in the current climate conditions should not be setting off fireworks. Unfortunately our country has a lot of “goofs” out there with air is where their brain used to be.
Unless it’s enforced there will be no change… reporting illegal fireworks has been fruitless before – what will be different?
City of Concord should be cancelling their fireworks like other cities in the area. Remember a couple years ago during fire conditions Tim Macgillian insisted on launching the fireworks at the Pavillion and they started 2 fires. Idiot!
Channel 4 news just showed a fire that appeared to be where the Concord fireworks show was.
We just posted that.
9:05 and it sounds like a war zone out there. Concord… ? ConFire…? CalFire…? Neighborhood Watch… oh never mind~~~~~~~~~~~
NOT 1 COP HERE ON SOLANO
Ya bought your kids food & clothing this month.
Shot off your freaking fireworks.
NOW GO HOME
NOT A COP IN SIGHT
Sounds and looks like your zero tolerance scare tactic bothered no one, it’s booms as usual.
Maybe next year try double zero tolerance.