Disruptive Kardashian fireworks show sparks calls for investigation

Los Angeles County Supervisor Don Knabe will present a motion Tuesday calling for an investigation into a loud midweek fireworks show, reportedly at a boat party thrown by Khloe Kardashian, that angered thousands of Westside residents.

The eight-minute show shined brightly in the sky above Marina del Rey and could be seen as far as Venice and heard in Redondo Beach.

For many residents, the midnight fireworks display early Wednesday was an unwelcome surprise that caused chaos in their households. Children were roused and dogs were left shaken.

Residents are demanding answers and accountability for the non-holiday show, which appears to be legal, although many considered it rude.

Knabe received numerous calls after the show and is upset, said his spokeswoman, Cheryl Burnett.

“It’s not clear who approved or didn’t approve what, but the finger-pointing doesn’t matter,” she said. “Where is the common sense in a midnight fireworks display when normal people have to get up early for work or families have to get kids ready for school?”

Knabe is hoping to investigate and come up with plan to ensure that similar incidents don’t recur.

E!Online reported that the celebrity bash was for James Harden’s 26th birthday. Kardashian, best known for her family’s long-running reality TV show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians,” is reportedly dating the Houston Rockets shooting guard.

Residents say that they weren’t notified about the fireworks show.

The Coast Guard said that because the event occurred in open water about a mile from the marina, a permit was not required. The show also passed a safety checklist, officials said.

The event was sponsored by Boulevard Management, according to emails between Los Angeles County and Coast Guard officials. The fireworks were launched from a vessel named the American Islander.

Any concerns about time and noise were supposed to be handled by the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department.

But sheriff’s spokeswoman Nicole Nishida said the department is not responsible for any fireworks requests outside the Marina del Rey breakwater. Sheriff’s officials were told the fireworks would be launched from the vessel about 100 feet west of the breakwater off Marina del Rey during the private party.

Many of the residents who called to complain were concerned that the noise was coming from weapons fire, Nishida said.

Loud disturbances are a violation of the law. Penalties depend on the seriousness of the disturbances and include jail time and fines.

The county Fire Department says it understands the public’s concern and is working on a fireworks permit corrective action plan, it said in a statement.

The plan would ensure that procedures for “future outdoor fireworks displays consider time of day and appropriate community outreach,” the department said.

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