Trucks run overnight to haul away massive Florence firework seizure

Tis the season for fireworks, and with that comes the illegal busts and seizures.

In the South L.A. area of Florence, police worked overnight to haul away 38,000 pounds of illegal, commercial-grade fireworks found in a warehouse at 61st Street and Central Avenue Wednesday. 

The goods were discovered during a routine LAFD Fire Marshal, commercial building compliance inspection. LAFD called the LAPD after finding the large stash of fireworks in a storage room.

LAPD Bomb Squad used box trucks and big rigs to transport the fireworks away from the scene since updated LAPD policy requires detonation offsite.

Neighbors in the area say illegal fireworks are not surprising. "Around this time of year, especially around Fourth of July, and stuff like that, yeah, it's pretty normal. I'm pretty sure these fireworks cause fires and burn down houses and businesses in the area," said neighbor Albert Rodriguez.

The LAPD detonation policy change came after a June 30, 2021, botched attempt by the department's bomb squad. They had seized about 5,000 pounds of illegal fireworks from a South L.A. home and packed them in an armored truck for detonation which then exploded, rocking the neighborhood.

Debris from the truck went flying, 17 people were injured and 22 residences, 13 businesses, and 37 vehicles were damaged from the blast.

Police Chief Michel Moore issued an official apology one month after the explosion, saying that bomb squad technicians likely miscalculated the weight of the explosives that were placed in the truck.

Later Thursday morning, LAPD announced the arrest of two men for possession of illegal fireworks, over 5,000 pounds, at the Florence building. Lorenzo Ponce, 64, and Diego Ponce, 35, both of Los Angeles were arrested.