Why are fireworks still legal in wildfire-prone California?
EL DORADO COUNTY — The Fourth of July holiday is in full swing, and while some counties have made them illegal, many of our California counties still allow safe and sane fireworks.
Currently, more than 60 cities in our viewing area allow safe and sane fireworks.
"Every city, county or municipality can make the decision if they will allow the usage of safe and sane fireworks," State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant said. "So every city makes their own decision based on their own needs and decision making."
Berlant said that some cities or counties may consider themselves a lower threat to wildfires and that safe and sane fireworks are OK to use.
Some of those counties are neighbors to El Dorado County, where they are completely banned.
"So if you actually look at ignitions in the United States, you'll see that July 4 has the most ignitions by far than any other day in the year," said Michael Gollner, associate professor at UC Berkley.
Gollner said that even while using safe and sane fireworks, a wildfire can spark in a second. This leaves the question: Why are fireworks legal anywhere in the state if California is so wildfire-prone?
"We do rigorous testing on federally approved consumer fireworks and only those that meet our requirements, whether it's chemical compounds or the characteristics of the fireworks, only those are allowed to be used," Berlant said.
Jason Snyder with the El Dorado County Fire Protection District said fireworks are completely illegal in this county because it is a high-threat area.
"This year, especially, everything is really, really dry," Snyder said. "We've got record temperatures coming this week, low humidities and a north wind event."
Berlant said that because the testing was done on fireworks, it doesn't mean they are unsafe to use in the entire state.
"You can use safe and sane safely. It's when you use them illegally and you modify them, you do them near grass, near your house, that's when it's dangerous," Berlant said.
If you are caught with fireworks where they are illegal, you could face a hefty fine and potentially criminal charges.
Though fireworks are banned in El Dorado County, residents there can still experience them in a professional show.