Countywide : Authorities Issue Fireworks Warning

Ventura County law enforcement and fire officials are gearing up for the Fourth of July and the beginning of fireworks season by warning the public that possession or use of pyrotechnics is illegal in most areas of the county.

Already this week, police and sheriff’s deputies have responded to a few evening disturbance calls related to firecrackers, law enforcement officials said, and more are expected.

“I would anticipate with this wonderful holiday coming up, we will certainly have some disturbance calls,” said Sheriff’s Lt. Dave Tennessen. “We typically do.”

Tennessen said deputies responded to a firecracker-related disturbance Monday night in the Thousand Oaks area, but did not locate the person who was setting off the explosives.

Patrol officers in Oxnard have also responded to disturbance calls, as have sheriff’s deputies in other areas of the county, authorities said.

Possession or use of firecrackers in any area of the county other than Fillmore, where some fireworks are legal, is a misdemeanor punishable by fines of up to $1,000 and six months in jail, said Ventura County Fire Department spokeswoman Sandi Wells.

The fines are necessary, Wells said, to dissuade the use of fireworks. “People look at fireworks as a fun thing that we have to do once a year, but in fact they are very dangerous,” Wells said.

Wells said four fires were caused last year by fireworks on and around July 4, including one that destroyed a redwood deck behind a Camarillo home.

Other fire damage included a burned-out car and two medium-sized brush fires, Wells said. “We hope people are going to understand that the consequences of using fireworks go beyond a citation or a fine.

“They can lead to injuries or even death, and that’s why we are taking a very hard stance on issuing citations and making arrests.”