Deadline Moved Up for Fireworks Permits
The city has set a new, earlier deadline for groups applying for permits to sell fireworks during the Fourth of July weekend.
Officials with the city and the Orange County Fire Authority asked that the deadline be moved from June 15 to June 1 to allow more time to review permit applications.
“We just wanted to make sure that permits are limited to Buena Park organizations,” Mayor Patsy Marshall said before the City Council vote to approve the new deadline.
To be considered local, groups must have maintained a permanent meeting place in the city for one year and must be able to show that at least 50% of the members are city residents.
About 30 groups each year apply for permits to sell fireworks in the city, one of only a handful in the county that still permit the sales.
The Orange County Fire Authority also reviews each permit application and has discretion to deny permits, Marshall said.
The city’s ordinance also includes very strict rules prohibiting smoking or drinking near the stands, defining safe storage and other regulations.
“We are very concerned about the welfare of children and residents, but we found that most of the accidents are caused by illegal fireworks,” Marshall said.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
