Fire, law enforcement officials highlight firework safety ahead of holiday weekend

In advance of the July Fourth holiday weekend, Cal Fire and Sacramento area fire officials, as well as regional law enforcement and medical personnel are urging people to be aware of the dangers of fireworks. 

Justin Sylvia, fire captain and public information officer for the Sacramento Fire Department, underscored the intersection of fire ignitions with personal safety.

“We want to emphasize the significance of fire prevention when it comes to fireworks. Dry conditions and flammable materials can significantly increase the risk of accidental fire they may cause,” he said. 

Sylvia said any plans for the use of fireworks should be conducted away from dry grass, buildings and other areas that might be fire prone. 

Acting State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant emphasized that, despite the wet winter, this weekend’s high temperatures will increase wildfire risk. 

“With our dry, Mediterranean climate, [this] time of year — [around] the Fourth — lends itself naturally to wildfires and that risk only increases with the use of illegal fireworks and the unsafe use of fireworks,” he said. 

Berlant made clear that only “safe and sane” fireworks — approved by the State Fire Marshal and emblazoned with a seal of the State of California on each box — are legal and are sold between June 20 through July 4. It is illegal to sell, use or transport fireworks without the state seal. It is also illegal to take or use approved fireworks into communities that don’t allow them. 

“Any firework that explodes or flies in the air is illegal and not allowed,” said Jason Lee, Fire Marshal for the Sacramento Fire Department. “Our [city’s] fireworks task force will be patrolling in the nights leading up to, and including, the Fourth of July. Citations, starting at $1,000 all the way up to $5,000 will be issued to property owners and responsibles, by just a visible verification from one of our officers that a firework has left the property.”  

If convicted, fines for possessing, transporting or using illegal fireworks can go as high as $50,000 or result in jail terms of up to one year, depending on the quantity of fireworks that are confiscated.

“Illegal fireworks include anything from skyrockets, bottle rockets, Roman candles, aerial shells, firecrackers, and really anything that explodes, goes up in the air or that moves across the ground in an uncontrollable manner,” said Berlant. 

The State Fire Marshal’s office reports that arson and bomb units have already confiscated 250,000 pounds of illegal fireworks since the 2022 July Fourth holiday. They described this quantity of fireworks as the equivalent of about 10 semi-trucks filled with fireworks. 

In order to use fireworks, they must be purchased from an authorized vendor by an adult; children are never permitted to purchase, use or handle fireworks.

“Each year, more than 3,000 children under the age of 15 are sent to the emergency room in the United States because of fireworks. Firework-related fires, injuries and deaths are avoidable and preventable,” according to Rebecca Alessandri, Fire and Burn Prevention Coordinator at the Firefighters Burn Institute.

She said if, rather than attending a public fireworks display, people decide to hold their own fireworks events, they should offer children glow sticks instead of sparklers, which can heat up to more than 2,000 degrees — hot enough to cause third-degree burns. She added sparklers make up one-third of injuries to children under the age of five. 

Berlant said that illegal fireworks sales have moved online and to social media. He added law enforcement personnel are monitoring these sales, both in communities and online. 

The Sacramento Fire Department has recently launched an app to report illegal fireworks. People can also call 916-808-3473 (FIRE) to make reports.

More information on the safe handling of fireworks is available at fireworkssafetyca.org