Santa Clarita / Antelope Valley : Heat, Dry Brush Spark Fireworks Fears : Palmdale: Conditions and recent blazes have firefighters more anxious than usual as stands open citywide.

Sweltering temperatures and tinder-dry brush caused firefighters to be more alarmed than usual Tuesday by an annual Palmdale tradition: the opening of the city’s fireworks stands.

They pointed to the Angeles National Forest, just south of the city, where fierce brush fires have blackened thousands of acres, sending up smoke clouds that were clearly visible in Palmdale last weekend.

And they pointed to local temperatures, repeatedly topping 100 degrees, and the dim prospects for cooler conditions before the holiday.

“It takes only a spark from any kind of fireworks to get something going,” said county fire inspector Wade Little.

The fireworks sales also made the U. S. Forest Service nervous.

“The resources are depleted,” said Randi Jorgensen, a spokeswoman for the service, which oversees the Angeles National Forest. “Grass and bushes are really dry. The potential for wildfires is very great right now.”

Palmdale is among 37 cities in Los Angeles County that allow the sale and use of state-approved “safe and sane” fireworks, but it’s is the only city that allows fireworks in the north part of the county. They are prohibited in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita valleys, in neighboring Lancaster and nearby unincorporated areas such as Acton.

Leaders in other communities, especially those where dry brush is prevalent, are worried that residents will buy the devices in Palmdale and set them off in prohibited areas, raising the risk of fire.

Even county firefighters who are based in Palmdale say that fireworks sales, particularly this year, make their job tougher. “We’re concerned that fire activity is going to be higher, and with the heat, it’s going to be tougher on the crew,” said Capt. Bill Glancy of Fire Station 24 in Palmdale.

He added: “Because of the heat and fire weather, there are some extra crews on duty.”

The wisdom of selling Fourth of July fireworks has been debated on numerous occasions by Palmdale leaders. City officials have had to weigh the fire risks against the value of fireworks as a fund-raising tool for local nonprofit groups.

In 1992, city leaders put the issue on the ballot and local voters, by a 2-to-1 margin, decided that fireworks sales should continue. During that campaign, fireworks supporters argued that the stands raise more than $200,000 annually for Palmdale-based nonprofit organizations, including service clubs, the YMCA and school groups.

This year, the city approved a record 36 stands, operated by 29 local groups.

At a stand run by Palmdale’s American Indian Little League, customer Debbie Shout said she didn’t mind shelling out $40 for fireworks because it helped the youth group.

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The Lancaster resident said she plans to take the fireworks to a family gathering in Kern County. “I have nine nieces and nephews, and I buy them mostly for them,” Shout explained. “We’re very safe. We put a garden hose nearby, and only the adults can set them off.”

Robert Jiron, 18, also of Lancaster, bought $92 worth of fireworks at the stand. He plans to ignite them at a holiday party in Nevada. “The ‘Piccolo Pete’ is my favorite,” he said. “It whistles really loud.”

The volunteers who staffed these stands, which are made of sheet metal, were well aware of the extreme heat on Tuesday.

By mid-afternoon, the temperature in Palmdale was 108. Pamm Volpone said she thought it felt twice that hot inside the Palmdale High School Band Boosters stand at Sierra Highway and Avenue S.

“I must have sweated off 10 pounds,” she said.

Volpone said she was concerned that the heat increased the local fire hazards. But she added: “I hope the early fires won’t hurt our sales. We need to do as well as we can.”