Firefighters urge firework safety, ahead of Fourth of July holiday

SALINAS, Calif. (KION-TV)- While the Fourth of July holiday is just several weeks, the Central Coast has already seen some vegetation and brush fires breakout.

Signs that say “Neighbors against Fireworks” have been popping up around the City of Salinas”.

“We always advise people to use the safe and sane fireworks that are for sale around the city,” Skylar Thornton the Fire Marshal for the Salinas Fire Department. “We advise them to do it with adult supervision. We also urge them to make sure they have a bucket of water around and a first aid kit.”

In the City of Salinas, people can use, store, sell, or display safe and sane fireworks between noon on June 28 and July 5 at 10 p.m. Any time after that designated time frame, people could face a hefty fine.

People can also report any unsafe or illegal fireworks to the Salinas Fire Department.

While the Fourth of July is still just a few weeks away, fireworks have already started popping up even if they’re not selling anything.

But Salinas firefighters are already getting calls of fireworks going off in the city.

“We've been getting complaints for several weeks now and they're just starting to increase in number,” said Thornton. “They will they will trend upward until the fifth of July and then they will slowly start to trend down.”

While shooting fireworks is part of the Fourth of July fun, there is also the concern for a wildfire to ignite.

“Our call volume goes up pretty dramatically now starting into the fire season,” said Thornton. “Given the fact that all of the grass and fuels around are now receptive to matches and fireworks and that sort of thing.”

The risk of wildfires does have people on the Central Coast concerned.

“Looking at it that way with all the wildfires and with the vegetation,” one person told KION. “Especially here and with all the shortages, if you put it that, way it does get a little concerning.”

Salinas Fire said it will have extra staffing during the holiday weekend and will be cracking down on illegal fireworks.

The City of Salinas also sees a lot of lost during the Fourth of July weekend.

To help with this, Salinas Animal Services will have their after-hours kennel open. Two animal control officers will also be on duty on July 3 and 4.