The city of Palmdale is reporting that 15 citations were issued to individuals using illegal fireworks between July 1 and 5.
The city’s illegal fireworks ordinance, which began in 2007, carries penalties of $2,500 for a first offense, $5,000 for a second and $10,000 for a third. Since its inception, 220 citations have been issued.
The Palmdale Sheriff’s Station received 309 calls, and confiscated 100 pounds of illegal fireworks. There were also 19 fires in Palmdale due to illegal fireworks. No significant major incidents, such as structure fires, occurred related to fireworks and there were no injuries.
Illegal fireworks in Palmdale are all fireworks that are not “Safe and Sane” fireworks, which bear the official seal of the State Fire Marshal, and ALL fireworks in no-fireworks zones including “Safe and Sane.” The non-“Safe and Sane” illegal fireworks are the kinds that shoot up in the air and explode such as bottle rockets, Roman candles, firecrackers, M-80s and so on.
“Our Palmdale Sheriff’s Department task force, working in conjunction with City staff and fire department covered over 100 square miles of our City,” said Palmdale City Manager Jim Purtee. “They received hundreds of calls from concerned residents who like all of us are appalled by the proliferation of illegal fireworks that shoot up in the sky, explode and have the potential to cause fires and injuries.”
Other than State Fire Marshall approved “Safe and Sane” fireworks in cities where they are legal, no fireworks may be sold legally in California. According to the California Fireworks Newswire (www.ca-fireworks.presskit247.com), large, out-of-state operations are shipping massive quantities of aerial displays and exploding items directly into California using independent truckers or via the internet. This creates immense challenges for all cities across the state.
