Police: Let professionals handle fireworks
As the community celebrates the Fourth of July, the Glendale Police Department warns that fireworks are illegal in the hands of residents and should be left to professionals putting on Independence Day displays.
Glendale has a ban on all fireworks as do La Crescenta and all other parts of unincorporated Los Angeles County.
“To help ensure everyone’s safety, the city of Glendale will have a zero-tolerance approach when dealing with municipal-code violations relating to fireworks,” said police spokeswoman Tahnee Lightfoot.
Also, because this has been one of the driest years on record, brush fires are more likely when residents are setting off fireworks, she said.
“California is experiencing another drought year, and Glendale recently battled a significant wild land fire in Brand Park,” Lightfoot said. “Our Glendale hillsides and mountains are very vulnerable due to the drought conditions … Fireworks burn at extremely high temperatures and can quickly ignite a fire and rapidly burn through clothing and skin, causing severe injury.”
Each municipal code violation for possessing fireworks is punishable by a fine of up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail.
A fireworks display will be presented at 9 p.m. at the La Crescenta Elementary School, 4343 La Crescenta Ave. Visit https://www.cvfireworks.com for ticketing information. A fireworks show will also be presented at 9 p.m. at the Rose Bowl, 1001 Rose Bowl Drive. Tickets can be purchased at https://www.rosebowlstadium.com.
To report illegal fireworks being ignited, contact Glendale police at (818) 548-4911.
Aside from potentially bodily harm, fireworks can also frighten pets.
The Pasadena Humane Society says cats and dogs should not be taken to watch fireworks as the loud sounds can scare them and cause them to run away.
Owners are urged to keep their pets indoors and consider playing music to help diffuse the loud noise of fireworks, according to a statement from the society.
If pets run away, it’s recommended owners search the animal shelter closest to their home. The humane society updates its log of lost pets that are brought in on an hourly basis at pasadenahumane.org.
The humane society will have additional animal-control officers on duty on the Fourth of July, and will open at 8 a.m. on Saturday to help reunite lost pets with their owners. The Pasadena Humane Society is located at 361 S. Raymond Ave., Pasadena.
Glendale police are cautioning Independence Day revelers to celebrate responsibly because officers will be on the lookout for drunk drivers.
The Glendale Police Department will conduct a sobriety checkpoint on Saturday night at an undisclosed location in the city.
In 2012, 78 people were killed across the country in DUI crashes on the Fourth of July, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
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