And while fireworks will prove to be a focal point for teams this weekend — especially given california`s drought conditions and the abundance of very dry fuel that makes conditions perfect for rapid fires — officials will also be looking for drivers behind the wheel who show signs of impairment. “I don`t know if people are particularly bored this year because of the shelter orders on site. The reason they`re illegal is because they`re not safe,” said Daniel Berlant of Cal Fire. CALIFORNIA — Despite historic drought and the risk of wildfires, there are still hundreds of California cities that allow residents to light “safe and healthy fireworks.” In just one week in June, Cal Fire seized nearly £50,000 worth of illegal fireworks. “They could face fines of up to $50,000 and even be punished with a year in prison. It`s just not worth a few minutes of potential fun,” said Berlant, who explained that any fireworks that explode in the air and are not part of a public display is considered illegal fireworks. They cause injuries, they start fires, and we just can`t afford to have that, especially in the middle of the fire season. All fireworks that can`t leave the ground and have the seal of approval from the state are fine. Angelica Brenson traveled to West Sacramento to get her legal fireworks.
Starting Tuesday, 296 California municipalities are allowing licensed vendors to sell fireworks authorized by the state fire marshal, colloquially known as “safe and healthy fireworks.” Approved retailers will watch the fireworks from June 28 to 6. July sales sell, although individual cities may limit sales to shorter time windows. Sales are often found in local shopping malls and parking lots. Contact your local city government to find out when and where they are sold. Biedermann said Lathrop MPs had conducted a sweep and participated in the county`s working group, which has so far removed more than £3,000 of illegal fireworks from the streets as the holiday approaches. “But if we can`t control that, we have to look for other options. If we can`t get the public to use fireworks properly, we`ll look at things like trying to convince the city to eliminate safe and healthy fireworks. “Safe and healthy” fireworks are usually benign sparks, but in general, they are defined more by what they are not than by what they are. These are all species that the Fire Marshal does not categorize as “dangerous” and all carry an official seal of approval from the Fire Marshal.
To be classified as “safe and healthy,” fireworks: “It`s usually our biggest call volume day of the year, but this year it`s a Saturday and a Sunday, so it will be interesting to see how it works,” said Lathrop Police Chief Ryan Biedermann. “We will have additional agencies working with firefighters and we hope that last week`s great joint effort has affected the availability of illegal fireworks.” Cal Fire generally suggests that people go to their local fireworks show as an alternative to using illegal fireworks, but with very few shows in our area due to the coronavirus, Cal Fire has struggled to convince people not to light fireworks. But if that doesn`t work, Neely said, it may be time to ask whether safe and healthy fireworks are even worth a visit. For thousands of nonprofits ranging from small league teams to high school recall clubs, selling fireworks each summer is a major source of fundraising in California. Neely has been at the forefront of promoting stricter regulations and penalties for violating The Lathrop Fireworks Ordinance after it was determined that a building fire a few years ago was caused by illegal fireworks, as well as several grass fires that may have affected residential buildings. Injuries have also been reported as a result of illegal modifications to fireworks, such as pinching safe and healthy fireworks with a hammer to detonate them. While the sale and use of aerial and explosive fireworks is illegal in California, it`s also a business that Biedermann says is extremely lucrative for those who run it — mention of a bust last month in the Bay Area where three U-Haul trucks filled with illegal fireworks and more than $1 million in cash were seized by authorities. The Manteca Police Department reminds the public that impaired driving is not just due to alcohol. Some prescription or over-the-counter medications can interfere with driving. Always follow the instructions for use and read the warnings about driving or “using heavy machinery”, including driving a car. Although medical and recreational marijuana is legal, driving under the influence of marijuana is illegal. In sweltering summer California, a single wandering spark can start a massive wildfire.
The National Fire Protection Association recently reported that fireworks set off an average of 18,500 fires per year.
