With the fourth of July on the horizon, members of the fire safety community in the state, along with the Fresno and Clovis area, want members of the general public to practice setting off fireworks safely.
Representatives from the Fresno and Clovis fire departments, Cal Fire and Fresno County Fire held a news conference Thursday morning to discuss various firework safety practices and enforcement measures that will be in place and the dangers of the usage of illegal fireworks.
Because there will be no official public displays of fireworks this coming fourth of July, more displays of fireworks at homes are expected, deputy fire marshal for the city of Fresno Jay Tracy said.
Those that wish to set off fireworks can only legally use those that are labeled “safe and sane” on the packaging by the California state fire marshal.
Legal fireworks include fountains, spinners, and snap caps. These fireworks can be bought and sold in the state during a specific time period, from 12 p.m. on June 28 to July 6.
These fireworks, however, are not allowed in certain areas designated by the state, Mark Johnson, chief of Fresno Kings unit of CAL FIRE and Fresno County Fire Protection District said.
“Fireworks being legal in Fresno County and most areas are extremely illegal in the State Responsibility Areas,” he said. “Those are basically east of the Friant/Kern Canal into the foothill areas or west of I-5 in the foothill areas of the coast range. Any type of firework is illegal in those areas.”
State Responsibility Areas are areas where the state of California has primary financial responsibility for the prevention and suppression of fireworks.
Fireworks that have been designated as “dangerous” by the state of California are illegal and cannot be used unless given a special display license. These fireworks include any that leave the ground.
Failure to comply with these regulations can result in a $1,250 citation, with possible misdemeanor or felony criminal charges.
It is also a felony criminal charge to manipulate fireworks in any way, including combining them with other fireworks, Tracy said.
People can report illegal fireworks usage by using the FresGo app or calling 311.
And the human cost of firework usage gone wrong is very real, especially from sparklers, according to Shana Henry, a burn and pediatric intensive care nurse at Community Regional Medical Center in Fresno.
“Burn survivors go through so much acutely, but those injuries last a lifetime,” Henry said.
She added that 14 percent of injuries from sparklers are to the eyes, which require long-term follow-up with optometrists and optic therapists. Thirty-one percent of those injuries affect hands involving amputations and 22 percent involve the face and head.
However, the fire officials do not want people to be discouraged from enjoying fireworks, just in a safe manner.
“We want you to have an enjoyable time and be safe,” Clovis Fire Department Chief John Binaski said. “We, in conjunction with Clovis PD, will be out doing enforcement … Anything that leaves the ground is an illegal firework. These are things we are worried about. We want you to have a good time.”