Saturday marks the 250th anniversary of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence, and Riverside County officials are urging residents to celebrate safely by attending public fireworks displays and using caution around open water.
“The safest way to celebrate is to leave fireworks to the professionals by attending one of the many public fireworks shows or community celebrations taking place throughout Riverside County,” April Newman, CAL FIRE/Riverside County Fire Department public information officer, said in an email to The Riverside Record.
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All fireworks, including “safe and sane” fireworks, are illegal to use in unincorporated Riverside County as well as the vast majority of incorporated cities. The cities of Blythe, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs and Indio allow the use of “safe and sane” fireworks, which are non-explosive and labeled with an official seal from the State Fire Marshal.
All other fireworks, including sky rockets, bottle rockets, roman candles, aerial shells, firecrackers and others that explode, go into the air or move on the ground in an uncontrollable manner are illegal across the state, according to guidance published by the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (Cal Fire).
The holiday comes on the heels of a number of wildfires in the county, including the 635-acre Iron Fire and the 3,085-acre Shore Fire, both near Moreno Valley, and the Bain Fire, which burned 1,473 acres near Jurupa Valley last month.
“With vegetation already critically dry and several large wildfires impacting Riverside County in recent months, a single spark can quickly ignite a fast-moving fire, placing lives, homes and first responders at risk,” Newman said. “In addition to the wildfire danger, illegal fireworks can cause serious injuries, structure fires and damage to property.”
Beyond the risk of fires, the use of illegal private fireworks can also have negative impacts on pets, veterans and other sensitive populations. Those caught selling, transporting or using illegal fireworks face steep fines across the county.
Instead, the department recommended people attend public events and fireworks shows being put on across the county over the coming days, a full list of which can be found here.
Those wishing to report illegal fireworks in Riverside County Sheriff’s Office jurisdictions can call 800-950-2444, fill out the form online or download the department’s app on Google Play or the Apple App Store.
Those who live in the incorporated cities of Banning, Beaumont, Blythe, Cathedral City, Corona, Desert Hot Springs, Hemet, Indio, Menifee, Murrieta, Palm Springs, or Riverside, should call their local police departments to report fireworks.
For those planning to be out on the water this weekend, health officials are continuing to call on residents to use caution to prevent drowning.
“People often think of drowning as a dramatic event where there’s a lot of flailing and splashing, but really what we see is it can be a silent event. Watching the water is key to knowing when someone is in trouble,” said Dr. Michael Mesisca, Department Chair of Emergency Medicine for RUHS – Medical Center, in a release ahead of Memorial Day. “Drownings can happen wherever water is present – whether that’s a lake or something as small as a bucket.”
Preventive actions include enrolling children in swim lessons with a certified instructor, assigning a “water watcher” and never allowing people to swim alone, avoid consuming alcohol or medications that can influence judgment or impair balance and the ability to swim, getting trained in CPR, basic first aid and rescue methods and wearing life jackets when on or near water sources.
More information can be found here on the Riverside University Health System website.
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