Palmdale Unpersuaded by Acton’s Plea on Fireworks

Members of an Acton civic group, citing the potential for forest fires near their rural community, canvassed fireworks stands in Palmdale during the weekend in an unsuccessful effort to persuade the businesses to sell fireworks only to Palmdale residents.

Palmdale is the only city in northern Los Angeles County to allow fireworks sales. Unfortunately, said Acton resident Charles Brink, some of these fireworks are purchased by people who take them outside the city. Brink is chairman of a fledgling civic group that is trying to establish an Acton town council to address local affairs.

Brink said his group asked the vendors to check the identifications of people purchasing fireworks. “We’re not trying to eliminate all fireworks sales, we’re just trying to restrict them,” Brink said Monday. The organizations declined his request, he said.

The move to restrict fireworks was prompted by unusually dry weather and by an intermittent water shortage in Acton. Brink said Acton residents want to meet with fireworks vendors and Palmdale city officials in hopes of clamping down on fireworks sales by next year.

But Palmdale Mayor William J. Knight said he doubts the public would support restrictions on fireworks sales. Knight said that many local charities, such as service clubs and high school athletic teams, maintain that fireworks sales account for as much as 90% of their annual budgets. Ten organizations obtained licenses to run fireworks stands in the city this year, according to city officials.

Knight said Palmdale does not endorse the illegal use of fireworks outside the city limits. But he also said it is the responsibility of other cities and Los Angeles County--not Palmdale--to police the illegal use of fireworks.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department, under contract to Palmdale for fire service, opposes fireworks and annually urges the city to ban them, Capt. Ronald Hayton said. Through the years, some City Council members have tried and failed to win support for a fireworks ban, he said.