Expand / Collapse search
☰

500 pounds of illegal fireworks confiscated in San Jose

By KTVU Staff
Published  June 29, 2021 1:52pm PDT
Holidays
KTVU FOX 2

Illegal fireworks damage buildings in Walnut Creek

Illegal fireworks damage buildings in Walnut Creek. A skin care shop owner cleans up glass from the explosion. James Torrez reports

SAN JOSE, Calif. - As the Fourth of July holiday approaches, law enforcement agencies are pulling out all stops to prevent illegal fireworks from hitting Bay Area streets.

The San Jose Police Department said in a tweet Tuesday that officers seized 500 pounds of fireworks.

The department also said four people were cited for selling the illegal explosives.

As California braces for a critical wildfire season amid a severe drought, law enforcement agencies want to remind residents of wildfire risks associated with popping illegal fireworks.

"With our extreme drought, using fireworks is not just illegal, it’s more dangerous than ever," said Sonoma County's Interim Fire Marshal Steve Mosiurchak. "Keep everyone safe this Fourth of July and leave the fireworks to the professionals."

Explosions were heard throughout the East Bay Monday night, which authorities later determined were the result of illegal fireworks. And over the weekend in Livermore, illegal fireworks ignited a grass fire not far from the SCU Lightning Complex Fire burned last year.