Bay Area Fire Officials Urge Safety This Holiday Weekend

Fire officials are encouraging Bay Area residents whose cities allow "safe and sane" fireworks this weekend to follow several safety tips and pay attention to state regulations.

Although more populated cities such as San Francisco and San Jose do not permit fireworks, several cities in Alameda, San Mateo, Napa, Monterey, Santa Clara, Santa Cruz, Solano and Sonoma counties allow smaller fireworks that do not explode, dart across the ground or fly through the air, according to Cal Fire.

Local fire departments will be working with law enforcement agencies to make sure fireworks are up to code and are not taken outside jurisdictions where they are legal, Alameda County Fire Department spokeswoman Aisha Knowles said.

In Rohnert Park, the fine for illegal fireworks is $5,000, according to Department of Public Safety officials.

"On the 4th of July there are typically more fire reported across the nation than on any other day of the year," she said. "The Alameda County Fire Department has a zero-tolerance policy for illegal fireworks."

Legal fireworks are sold at licensed stands and have the state fire marshal's seal on them, Knowles said.

Even in cities where safe and sane fireworks are sold legally, there are restrictions on when and where they can be used, she said.

In Dublin, one of three fireworks-sanctioned cities in Alameda County, fireworks can only be used between 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. on July 4 at three designated parks: Alameda Creek Park, Dublin Sports Ground and Emerald Glen Park.

Knowles said anyone in a city that permits fireworks should read the directions, only use fireworks outdoors, stay away from dry grass and other flammables, and have a bucket of water or hose nearby.

Fireworks should never be pointed at another person, she said, and users should not try to relight or fix fireworks that do not work on the first try. Children also should not be permitted to use fireworks, according to Cal Fire.

Young children suffer the majority of burns caused by fireworks, according to the Central Fire Protection District of Santa Cruz County.

Mishandled fireworks also cause millions of dollars in property damage, the district said.

The Bay Area cities that allow safe and sane fireworks are Dublin, Newark and Union City in Alameda County; St. Helena in Napa County; Gilroy in Santa Clara County; Watsonville in Santa Cruz County; and Pacifica and San Bruno in San Mateo County. Dixon and Rio Vista in Solano County also allow fireworks, as do Cloverdale, Petaluma, Rohnert Park and Sebastopol in Sonoma County. Several Monterey County cities also allow fireworks: Gonzalez, Greenfield, King City, Marina, Salinas, Seaside and Soledad.

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