Arcadia’s Zero Tolerance for Fireworks; Staying Safe on the Fourth

The city of Arcadia maintains a Zero Tolerance for fireworks, in which the sale, use or possession of fireworks can add up to a year in jail alongside a hefty $50,000 fine.
– Photo by Terry Miller / Beacon Media News

Illegal Firework stands claim their products to be “Safe and Sane,” yet the injury they cause prove otherwise

By Sadie Gribbon

Arcadia, Monrovia and Pasadena strictly enforce a zero tolerance for fireworks. The Pasadena Fire Department will be staffing checkpoints around the Rose Bowl this year in an attempt to prevent fires, injuries and possible fatalities this Fourth of July.

In the most recent findings by the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an estimated 10,500 people were injured by fireworks in 2014 alone. Celebrating the Fourth of July accounts for nearly 68 percent of that total due to consumers purchasing fireworks that are intended for professionals.

The city of Pasadena maintains a Zero Tolerance for fireworks, in which the sale, use or possession of fireworks can add up to a year in jail alongside a hefty $50,000 fine.

Firework enthusiasts often find themselves purchasing the explosives from stands off the side of the road that say “Safe and Sane,” yet statistics prove they are anything but.

During the Independence Day season each year, from June 20 – July 20, there has been an estimated 7,000 firework injuries across the country, according to CPSC. 11 people were killed by the misuse of fireworks, a spike from the average fatality-from-firework count.

What are often seen as simple Independence Day novelties rack up the highest amount of injury. Firecrackers and sparklers, which aren’t commonly seen as fireworks, caused an estimated 2,400 injuries in 2014.

While 25 to 44-year-old adults are the most common age group to fall victim to firework injury,  young children in the range of 5 to 9-year-old’s have the highest estimated rate of ER-treated injuries.

Injuries and fatalities from improper use of fireworks do not always claim the user as the victim. There are reports of death by house fires caused by falling firework debris as well as multiple victims having fireworks accidentally shot at them instead of up in the air.

The use of fireworks can lead to more than just a $50,000 expenditure and a year in jail, but the safety and lives of the community. So stay safe and enjoy the local, ER-free events this Fourth of July.

Local Independence Day Events

Pasadena: AMERICAFEST, July 4 from 2 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. at the Rose Bowl

Arcadia: Fourth of July Parade, July 4 from 8 a.m. – 9 a.m., parade route beings at Jokake and Calle Tuberia

Monrovia: Fourth of July Fireworks Show, July 4 from 7 p.m. – 9 p.m., Library Park in Monrovia. Seats can be reserved starting at 6 a.m.

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