For Officials, a Fearful 4th : Public Mustn’t Forget About the Dangers of Fireworks, They Warn

One year after the safest local Fourth of July in memory, Orange County fire officials fear that people have forgotten how dangerous fireworks can be.

Firefighters have stepped up patrols since “safe and sane” fireworks went on sale Monday in Buena Park, Costa Mesa, Garden Grove and Santa Ana, the only cities left in the county that permit the sale and use of fireworks. And this year, the state fire marshal has prohibited the use of sparklers in California because they accounted for the greatest number of injuries in past years.

Although pleased that most Orange County cities have banned fireworks and that related blazes and injuries are on the decline, fire officials now face a new problem, said County Fire Department spokesman Dan Young.

“We have made Orange County so safe it has allowed an environment where people wonder why (fireworks are) banned,” Young said.

Despite the improved safety statistics, some people remain upset that fireworks bans have resulted in a loss of revenue for nonprofit organizations that sell fireworks to raise money. In the four cities that allow fireworks, there are more than 110 stands run by several dozen high schools, churches, youth baseball teams, soccer teams and other groups.

Karen Smith, 49, who was staffing a fireworks stand Tuesday in Garden Grove, said revenue from the sales is crucial to sports programs at Bolsa Grande High School in Garden Grove.

“Without it, our kids wouldn’t get to play sports” or have uniforms or awards, Smith said. “It’s how we support our kids.”

Others purchasing fireworks Tuesday said they opposed the bans because they believe that responsible people should be allowed to use “safe and sane” fireworks at will.

At a Santa Ana stand, Manny, a Santa Ana man who declined to give his full name, and his son spent $13 on a bag full of shower cones and ground bloom flowers. Manny said fireworks bans are “an infringement on people’s rights. Why restrict it in one city and not in others?”

Sales were moderate at the Bolsa Grande stand and in another stand in Santa Ana, with smoke bombs and prepackaged fireworks sets as the top sellers.

“Safe and sane” fireworks, all of which carry the state fire marshal’s seal, do not leave the ground or explode when ignited. Fire officials emphasize that even where fireworks are legal, they are only allowed through July 4.

“This term safe and sane is an amazing term considering the number of injuries associated with them,” Young said. He said that they are safe if used properly, but added that often they are not.

In 1990, at least 12,400 injuries were attributed to fireworks in the United States, according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission.

“My most important message is, don’t handle (fireworks) at all,” said UCI Burn Center Nurse Manager Suzie Martinez. “I think there are a lot of other ways to be patriotic--wear a flag, do things where you have a little bit of control or predictability.”

Fire officials are also worried that hot, dry weather, the continued drought and unsafe use of fireworks could combine to spark devastating blazes over the long Fourth of July weekend.

Meteorologist Michael Schlesinger of WeatherData Inc., which provides forecasts for The Times, predicted a pattern of night and morning low cloudiness, with otherwise fair skies throughout the weekend. He expected high temperatures to range in the 70s along the coast, in the 80s and 90s inland and above 100 in lower desert regions. Winds will be light.

Fireworks and Fires

As more Orange County cities have banned fireworks, fires caused by them from mid-June to mid-July each year have decreased.

Cities Allowing Number Year Fireworks of Fires 1990 6 75 1989 7 100 1988 7 106 1987 12 111

Source: California state fire marshal; Orange County Fire Department