Fireworks make holidays dangerous, firefighters say

A collection of fireworks – both legal and illegal “safe and sane” – were among those presented at a press conference Friday in which safety officials discouraged their use on the 4 July.

Some Bay Area communities allow the use of so-called “safe and sensible” fireworks, such as handheld sparklers, around the Fourth of July, though most prohibit anything other than licensed, professional displays. These devices are offered as an alternative to illegal fireworks, which explode in the air or travel along the ground.

“They might be legal. They’re not safe,” Contra Costa Fire Investigator Matt Larson said at a news conference late last week. “Any one of these fireworks — including sparklers, including small popping firecrackers — can start a fire. Any one of them can seriously injure you. Nothing is ‘safe and sane.’”

Firefighters have been warning about the dangers of fireworks of all kinds as the Fourth of July approaches. Temperatures are expected to soar this week just before the holiday, and any potential fire is a significant risk, according to Chelsea Burkett, a spokeswoman for Cal Fire Santa Clara.

“People using fireworks of any kind, whether they're safe and sane or illegal, really contribute to the potential for a fire to start and grow significantly, especially with the dry vegetation and wind that we're seeing,” Burkett said.

The arrival of the holiday – on a Thursday, avoiding a three-day weekend – could help slow the use of illegal fireworks, but nothing would stop it, Contra's fire chief said Costa, Lewis Broschard, who called that night of seemingly endless explosions “my least favorite holiday.”

The expected high temperatures are also expected to push many people to spend the day in the region's waterways, including lakes, rivers and the delta — where many will enjoy drinking or recreational drugs — and “it becomes a dangerous mix,” Broschard said.

Every year, firefighters and other public safety officials in the Bay Area and Northern California seek to remind residents and visitors that using fireworks is one of the most dangerous things they can do.

“What frustrates us the most are all the emergencies we get called to that could have been avoided with a little thought,” Burkett said Friday. “People think it won’t happen to them. Every year it happens. »

All fireworks are illegal in Contra Costa County. “Safe and sane” fireworks, which include sparklers and small firecrackers, are sold through local fundraisers and are allowed to be used — with certain conditions, including time and location — in Newark, Union City, Dublin, Gilroy, Pacifica and San Bruno. These fireworks are banned, like all other fireworks, in the rest of Alameda, Santa Clara and San Mateo counties.

Despite the warnings, fire officials said there remains an active black market in illegal fireworks and the use of both legal and illicit devices is increasing.

“It’s going up, up, up,” Broschard said. “It doesn’t seem to be letting up.”

In Dublin, local nonprofits began selling the safe and healthy version on Friday and will be allowed to do so over the holiday. Homeowners can use them during this one-week period, but not in apartment buildings or public spaces.

In Santa Clara County, Gilroy is the only city that allows these types of fireworks. Residents can purchase them at any licensed fundraising booth to support Gilroy's youth and nonprofit groups. Buyers must bring their ID as proof that they are over 18 and a resident of Gilroy.

Buyers of legal fireworks can use them – in designated areas only – from 9 a.m. Monday to 10 p.m. Thursday.

Two cities in San Mateo County allow safe and healthy fireworks: Pacifica and San Bruno.

In Pacifica, fireworks can be used from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m. through Friday. San Bruno residents are allowed to set off their legal fireworks between noon and 9 p.m. through Wednesday and between noon and 11 p.m. Thursday.

No matter when the devices are used, their use is always dangerous, Burkett said. This year, the climate and weather conditions added to the danger.

Even though this year's wet winter helped boost vegetation in the Bay Area, those tall brushes are now particularly susceptible to fires, Burkett said.

She and other fire officials encouraged people to enjoy the fireworks by watching one of the many professional shows that will take place in the Bay Area skies Thursday night.

For those using legal fireworks, Burkett suggested having a water source nearby to quickly extinguish any fires that may start, as well as not using fireworks near any type of vegetation. Fireworks should also be set off in areas far away from buildings and brush, such as driveways.

Children should never handle fireworks without supervision, authorities said.

“It's common sense, but every year we see a young person get hurt because they're not supervised,” Larson said. “Unfortunately, it's an annual occurrence.”

The same goes for water emergencies, officials said. They urged residents to think twice before traveling to an area that might be crowded, since the holiday is one of the most popular days for casual boaters. They reminded boaters that drinking on the water is just as illegal as doing so while driving a car. Drinking and riding a jet ski is also a no-no.

“The problem with water is it can happen in a flash,” Broschard said. “People get in trouble in the blink of an eye.”

Bay Area beaches and waterways may be busier than usual during the weekends that sandwich the holiday, as well as during the holiday itself, due to the weather coming in. The Fourth of July is actually expected to see a slight cooldown after the heat intensifies Tuesday and Wednesday.