Sgt. Yolanda Palomo of the Altadena sheriff's station has sent the following about fireworks and the law:
FIREWORKS
It is against the law to set off fireworks in any unincorporated Los
Angeles County area, this includes Altadena.
Safe & Sane fireworks are not illegal to possess. They are however only
legal to discharge in a city that sells them. When dealing with Safe &
Sane Fireworks, remember the difference between possession (legal) and
discharging them in a prohibited area (illegal).
All Safe & Sane Fireworks are marked as such. Any device that explodes,
rises into the air or darts about, is illegal in California.
If you want to know if a particular city allows for safe and sane
fireworks call that City Hall or their Fire Department.
ALTADENA SHERIFF'S STATION AND THE FOURTH OF JULY
The Fourth of July is a very busy time for deputies at Altadena Station.
Please understand and be patient. We will respond to calls for service
on a priority basis. The most compelling priorities will be the
immediate preservation of life and property.
It is expected that the sound of fireworks will be prevalent in Altadena,
as the uninformed celebrate our country's birth.
TO CALL ? OR NOT TO CALL ?
That is the question
In a mountainous area, with older houses, the fire danger is evident.
Those fireworks that travel or dart (sky rockets) increase the
possibility of a fire in the community. Those that explode, firecrackers
and larger devices are potentially hazardous to the possessor and anyone
near when exploding, they also are a fire hazard.
When calling to report illegal fireworks be prepared to describe what you
see, such as bottle rockets/skyrockets, exploding firecrackers, or
extremely large explosions such as ones that shake windows. If you see
the violator, describe their approximate age, color of clothing, as well
as how long the violation has been occurring.
Due to the high volume of calls and limited resources you can expect a
response to the most concerning calls for service first, taking into
account any immediate threat, the effectiveness of our response by having
obtained a violators description, or the specific address/yard where the
problem is emanating from.
Please remember with the phones ringing off the hook our operators will
attempt to limit their time on the phone in order to answer the next
call, we never know if the next call is possibly a baby not breathing.
We apologize now for any appearance of being too short. We will strive
to respond to fireworks calls as quickly as possible. Please remember
that while handling the additional fireworks calls, we still will be
responding to your other requests for service, these may require an
immediate response by one or more deputies.
GOT KIDS / TEENAGERS ?
Please talk with your children regarding fireworks being illegal to
discharge in the area of Altadena. When just trying to have fun, it is
easy to CROSS THE LINE. Should young people be caught in a compromising
situation, even if not recognizing the seriousness or danger their
actions pose, they will be detained and possibly arrested by deputies.
Fireworks cause unintended burns, injuries and fires. Violators as well
as parents can be held financially responsible for injuries and damages.
Los Angeles County Fire Department Fireworks Hotline Number-
888-654-FIRE(3473). This number will be activated as of June 25th.
