By Khalida Sarwari
A good old-fashioned Fourth of July celebration typically includes a parade in the morning, a barbecue with family and friends in the afternoon and a fireworks display in the evening.
This year, though, law enforcement officials will be frowning upon “the rocket’s red glare and the bombs bursting in air” in residential areas. Their message to residents is keep the traditions alive, but leave the explosives to the pros.
Santa Clara County sheriff’s deputies, along with fire personnel, will be patrolling throughout the county this July 4th to look for illegal fireworks. Anyone caught violating the law can face fines of up to $1,000 and possibly even jail time.
So what are the rules? According to fire Deputy Chief John Justice, fireworks of all types are illegal in every city in Santa Clara County with the exception of Gilroy, where residents are allowed to buy and use “safe and sane” fireworks–essentially fireworks that do not fly or explode.
“All of us are trying to really step up the game about enforcing the rules when it comes to the use of illegal fireworks and we’re doing that because of the injuries, the ignitions of the fires that are starting, and the impacts it has on our hospitals and our burn units in the county when people who are not supposed to be handling fireworks are handling them and causing the grief in our community,” Justice said.
The consequences that land on communities from people using fireworks illegally are many, said Justice. First, there is the high risk of injury to people–those who discharge fireworks as well as the spectators. Last year, the county fire department received four reports of people suffering significant burns on their fingers and hands. Elsewhere, there have even been reports of deaths related to the deployment of fireworks. According to the fire department, the estimated cost of fireworks-related injuries is around $100 million annually.
It’s not just people that suffer; fireworks also cause stress and anxiety in dogs and cats. In fact, more pets run away on the Fourth of July than on any other day, and animal shelters often experience the brunt of this unfortunate occurrence the following day.
Public safety also takes a hit, as police and fire officials tend to stretch their resources to respond to fires and injuries. With the current drought conditions, the risk of fireworks-related fires is higher because so many lawns in the county are dry, said Sgt. Andrea Urena, a spokeswoman for the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office.
Issues related to fireworks tends to be year-round and not unique to the day Americans celebrate nation’s independence, Justice said. People will usually set them off to celebrate local teams winning the big game or to commemorate cultural holidays, for example.
“There’s just too much and the outcry from the community is they’d much rather it stop,” he said.
County officials are listening. Last month, the board of supervisors amended its fireworks ordinance to include penalties for violators who sell, use, possess or discharge fireworks without a permit, according to Justice. The ordinance is already in effect.
Violating any of California’s fireworks laws may lead to the seizure of the fireworks as well as misdemeanor charges, according to Urena. Violators may face up to a year in county jail, and a fine of $350 for the first offense, $700 for the second offense and $1,000 for the third offense.
While patrol checks usually turn up violators on the streets, law enforcement has had a harder time cracking down on people who sell and distribute illegal fireworks online. To that end, Justice is working on assembling a task force that specifically targets that demographic.
“We’ve got to get together and figure out how to do this,” he said. “I’m hoping to have it come into existence within the next month or so.”
Both Urena and Justice encouraged people to enjoy Independence Day safely by attending a professional display at one of the eight locations in the county, including Gilroy High School, Milpitas Sports Center, Morgan Hill Outdoor Sports Center, Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View, Central Park Pavilion in Santa Clara and at three venues in San Jose: Discovery Meadow Park, Almaden Lake Park and Municipal Stadium.
“We want people to enjoy the Fourth and have a good time with their friends and family, but we would like them to leave the fireworks shows to the professionals so that nobody gets injured while enjoying their holiday weekend,” Urena said.
