‘A very, very dangerous time.’ Fresno police battle illegal fireworks, announce arrests

The Fresno police and fire departments on Wednesday made their annual plea for a safe and responsible Fourth of July weekend.

“This is a very, very dangerous time,” Police Chief Paco Balderrama said at a news conference outside Fire Station No. 3 in downtown Fresno from in front of a backdrop of illegal fireworks — a table full of colorful rocket shaped packages with names like Bombas de la Muerte, Excalibre and Chroma.

The fireworks were a small portion of more than 250 pounds confiscated by undercover officers on Tuesday in a sting operation that led to two arrests.

A task force of police officers and fire department investigators is being deployed into the community through the Independence Day weekend. Using an array of technologies — including the city’s Shot Spotter system, the Sky Watch air support unit and drones — the department has already fielded nearly 400 service calls and reports through the city’s FresnoGo app.

They expect thousands more between now and July 4.

Along with the two arrests, 20 citations have been issued as far this year, Balderrama said.

Legal and illegal fireworks in Fresno

While Safe and Sane fireworks (the kind sold at permitted booths around town) are actually legal all year, any firework that leaves the ground or explodes is considered illegal in the city and can result in a $1,250 fine and even felony arrest charges.

Legal fireworks will have the State Fire Marshal’s seal.

Across the board, fireworks have come under mass scrutiny in the past few weeks, as the city deals with an ongoing drought and what feels like a proliferation of nighttime celebrations. A petition calling on Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer to ban all fireworks (except on designated holidays) was started last month and has more than 1,155 signatures.

The city and council members are getting calls from a concerned citizens.

Still, “there’s a market for it here,” Balderrama said.

Fireworks like those displayed at the news conference can bring in big money. They are being brought it from neighboring states or from Mexico, sometimes by the semi-truck load. They are then sold online via the dark web, but also on sites like Facebook Marketplace.

The sellers avoid detection by listing the fireworks as other items, like Play Stations, for example.

“We don’t want to have to put out these kind of resources every weekend,” Balderrama said, but illegal fireworks are a major safety concern. See: the Sky Fire on Tuesday at Millerton Lake, which Cal Fire investigators said was started by illegal fireworks.

“We don’t want any lives lost. We don’t want any homes destroyed,” Balderrama said.

Fresno fire department stretched by fireworks

And that threat is very real, according to Fresno Fire Chief Kerri Donis. Last year, the fire department responded to 135 calls on the Fourth of July alone. The department will likely get as many calls this year.

“We are chasing fires all night,” she said.

Those sparks, which look so astonishing going up in the air, eventually land. When they do, they can ignite trees or other vegetation.

“Those things lead to larger fires.”

Donis suggested those wanting to celebrate seek out one of the public fireworks displays, like the ones at Chukchansi Park following the Fresno Grizzlies games July 2-4.

Illegal firework activity should be reported through the FresnoGo app. This keeps the city’s phone lines clear for other emergencies and allows the user to track the progress of the report.

Valley cities battle illegal fireworks

Fresno is not alone in battling illegal firework use.

The city of Selma on Wednesday adopted an ordinance that allows for administrative fines of up to $2,000 for property owners and tenants who allow the use of illegal fireworks on their property. The fines may be delivered in person or sent in the mail to the property owners on record, according to a release from the city.

Like Fresno, Selma considers illegal fireworks those that explode or are launched into the air. This includes modifications made to Safe and Sane fireworks.

On Tuesday, the Coalinga Police Department arrested a 42-year-old man with several unopened boxes and packages of fireworks in the backseat. The suspect was taken into custody and was booked into the Coalinga City Jail. Fifty pounds of illegal fireworks were seized and turned over to the Coalinga Fire Department for safe storage.

This story was originally published June 23, 2021 at 2:09 PM.