Business Is Booming in Fireworks Zone

He was like a wide-eyed child in a candy store.

“What are these here? What do they do?” the middle-aged man asked, pointing to a row of red rockets and cone-shaped fireworks. “Give me one of those Solar Capsules--and one of these turtles.”

Handing the cashier a crisp $100 bill, the man--who refused to give his name--grabbed his change and his sack full of fireworks before darting out to his car.

With only a few days left to legally purchase non-explosive fireworks, pyrotechnic fans cluttered the roadside stands along California 126 in Fillmore Saturday to stock up before the Fourth of July.

Fillmore is the only city in Ventura County that allows the sale and detonation of fireworks. Igniting fountains, pinwheels or other sparkling gadgets is illegal everywhere else in Ventura County.

Fire and law-enforcement officials warn that it is a misdemeanor under state law to possess fireworks in an area where their sale is prohibited. Penalties can be as stiff as a $1,000 fine or six months in jail.

But for many customers milling about at Fillmore’s colorful fireworks stands, the law was a distant thought.

“No matter how illegal they are, we have to have them,” said Northridge resident Nina Bainer, who walked away from a church group’s stand with nearly $200 worth of fireworks, including two large assortment boxes. “It’s a Fourth of July experience.”

Some buyers had less ambitious shopping lists.

“We’re just going to get some little stuff,” said Wally Folkes of Camarillo, who was browsing with a friend. “We’re not going to get any skyrockets.”

About 20 nonprofit groups obtained permits to operate the wooden booths that stretch along the highway for nearly two miles. The annual fireworks sales, which are a longstanding tradition in Fillmore, generate tens of thousands of dollars for local groups each year.

“You have to have a lot of bake sales and carwashes to make what you can in one hour here,” said Fillmore resident Jim Poe, who started one of the town’s first booths in 1967.

Fireworks sales last only seven days. They started last Tuesday and will end at noon on Tuesday.

Poe said sales typically skyrocket as the Fourth of July nears.

“Usually on the 3rd we’ll have 700 (customers) and about 1,000 on the 4th,” he said. The booth his church is operating has already sold fireworks to more than 500 people.

But fire and law-enforcement officials have issued reminders that thousands of people fall victim to fireworks accidents each year. Five injuries and 20 fires were attributed to the misuse of fireworks in Ventura County last year alone.

Authorities urged thrill-seekers to attend one of the eight pyrotechnic displays planned for Monday around the county.

“We have beautiful fireworks displays in the county--go and attend them,” said Lt. Mike Gullon of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department. “Let the professionals do it.”

But booth operators say they could not fund their community programs without selling to residents from around the county and the Los Angeles area.

The weeklong fund-raiser is expected to generate more than $5,000 for the Fillmore Boys & Girls Club, past president Max Pina said.

The club provides recreational programs and tutoring for about 300 youths. “If we didn’t have this, the Boys & Girls Club might fall on its face,” he said.

Buyers--some spending hundreds of dollars for the so-called “safe and sane” fireworks--carefully selected from the wide variety of wares Saturday. Flashing Wheels, Screaming Meemies, Raging Monsters and Mr. Turtles--described as “fire-spurting menaces”--were just a few of the dozens of non-explosive fireworks for sale.

“I come to this same stand every year,” said Simi Valley resident Chris Doria, gesturing to the booth for the Marantha Foundation, a local church group. Doria said he plans to set off his $60 worth of fireworks in the Mojave Desert Monday, where the risk of accidental fires is smaller.

“I think they’re beautiful,” he said. “I love the colors.”

Fillmore resident Paul Poe, Jim Poe’s son, enjoys the kaboom of the fireworks as much as the cha-ching of the cash register in his church group’s booth, which takes Visa and MasterCard.

“I’ve sold maybe 10 of these, and they’re 200 bucks apiece,” Poe said, slapping a giant assortment box called the Big One. “You might as well light your wallet on fire.”

FYI

Fillmore is the only city in Ventura County that allows non-explosive fireworks to be sold around July 4. Twenty-one organizations are selling fireworks between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m. daily in booths along California 126. Fireworks can be bought and set off until noon on Tuesday, July 5. Purchasers must be over 16. It is illegal to set off fireworks outside the city.