Authorities Ask for Safe and Sane Use of Fireworks this 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 the Bay Area allow smaller fireworks that do not explode, dart across the ground or fly through the air, according to Cal Fire. In San Mateo county, small fireworks are allowed in San Bruno and Pacifica.

In the City of San Mateo, all fireworks, including safe and sane fireworks, are illegal. It is illegal to "possess, store, offer for sale, expose for sale, sell at retail, use, or explode any fireworks, including 'safe and sane' fireworks as defined in the California State Health and Safety Laws," according to the San Mateo Fire Department. "The intent of the law is to prevent injury, maintain order in our neighborhoods, prevent fire or damage to structures and/or vegetation. This is a zero-tolerance issue."

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.

"On the 4th of July there are typically more fires reported across the nation than on any other day of the year," she said.

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

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

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, 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 fire officials. Mishandled fireworks also cause millions of dollars in property damage.

In addition to San Bruno and Pacifica, 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; and Watsonville in Santa Cruz 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.

-Bay City News contributed to this report