‘I lived in fear every July 4th.’ Readers back ban on fireworks in Fresno, Valley
Fireworks are an explosive issue in Fresno and the central San Joaquin Valley, at least judging by the responses to a recent column.
No sooner did my latest plea to ban fireworks go online and in print did the phone calls, emails and online responses begin to pour in. They were nearly unanimous that something must be done to curtail the use and abuse of fireworks — and no, I’m no longer surprised.
“Yes yes yes, no more fireworks,” Shirley emailed. “Wake up Fresno. I did live on the west side, lived in fear every 4th. Sat with a garden house almost all night in fear of a fire. Now live on the east side, no better. The loud booms would knock you out of your chair. Please, please will someone with some common sense stop this madness?”
“Nightly explosions, every night, for months on end. How is this acceptable?” Craig of Fresno responded on Twitter. “Have people read the science behind the importance of sleep? Don’t people have empathy for Veterans, children, and the animals in our care? This is B.S.”
“(Former Mayor) Jim Patterson is solely responsible for the fireworks crisis,” Don of Fresno emailed. “Until he got the council to go along, fireworks were prohibited inside city limits. We live on the far eastern fringe of the city. There are no close-by housing tracts. There are no nearby organized displays. Yet we live in a shooting gallery. The booms go on far into the night.”
There’s no logical reason for why cities like Fresno, whose fire department barely scrimps by, to sanction the legal sales of items proven to cause fires. To combat illegal fireworks, fines and enforcement priorities must increase to the level where they’re an actual deterrent.
But just to make clear, this is not a crusade against public fireworks shows like those put on by the Fresno Grizzlies, Kiwanis clubs and other groups. Perhaps if Fresno had more of them, and better ones, there wouldn’t be as much temptation to go rogue.
Mary, who returned to Fresno two months ago after living in fireworks-free Santa Rosa, called to tell me that very thing.
“Santa Rosa has no problems with explosions around the Fourth of July,” she said. “It’s a beautiful holiday up there and I’m very sorry we can’t experience the same thing here.”
Readers are divided on whether fireworks need to be banned completely, or whether they should be permitted only on July 4th and specific holidays, as was suggested to Fresno Mayor Jerry Dyer in an online petition that has eclipsed 1,000 signatures.
Ban except on July 4th “might strike a balance”
“It is hard to determine if there is a danger nearby or if it is somebody just having fun with fireworks,” Nick of Madera County emailed. “Either way, a move towards at the very least just one day, July 4th, might be a strike of balance that we need.”
“Yes, ban them like pre-2000. County wide next. They’re too dangerous,” Anita wrote on Twitter. “The costs from pollution, injuries, police & fire calls, etc. likely exceeds the money the various nonprofits receive. It seems silly to allow nonprofits to fund-raise by selling such dangerous merchandise.”
Anita wasn’t the only reader who implored the Valley’s nonprofits to find other, less harmful ways of funding their programs and operations.
“Come on folks, get creative with something that won’t be so damaging to the environment and animals, not to mention the people already suffering from PTSD,” DM of Clovis emailed. “The new technological light shows are much more interesting to watch and don’t cause the trauma fireworks do.”
Gunnar of Fresno wants cities to be more creative. If a fireworks ban leads to fewer emergency calls to first responders and police, the organizations forced to stop selling them could be recompensed from any savings.
“Hell, I’d make an annual contribution to the nonprofits if they’d promise NOT to sell fireworks,” Gunnar emailed.
Columnist’s fireworks assertions “fake news”
While the overwhelming number of responses supported my stance, Adam most certainly did not. His email arrived with the subject line of “fake news.”
“The whole premise of your story is based on a BIG and OBVIOUS lie,” Adam wrote. “The great lie is your assertion that more people support a fireworks ban than not based on the amount of emails you received regarding the issue. I’ve seen several frame jobs in opinion articles in the past, but you really swung for the fences on this one. You seem super out of touch buddy. Assume your readers have the critical thinking skills of that above a sheep.”
No subterfuge happening here. My assertions are clearly stated as being supported by reader responses like this one:
“You can add me to the list of strong opponents to fireworks,” John of Fresno emailed. “Thank you for your column on this issue, as well as for your consistently outstanding work.”
Thank you, John. I’m blushing. I’ll also keep speaking out against legal, personal fireworks.
