CAL FIRE Concludes Illegal Fireworks Interdiction Operation

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

CAL FIRE Concludes Illegal Fireworks Interdiction Operation

CAL FIRE concluded a multi-agency operation designed to prevent illegal fireworks from entering California. The two part operation resulted in the confiscation of over thirteen thousand pounds of illegal fireworks.

“There is no excuse for breaking the law when it comes to fireworks. Illegal fireworks and pyrotechnics can cause devastating injuries and damage to property,” said Tonya Hoover, California State Fire Marshal.

Two families in San Bernardino found that out early Sunday morning, July 01-2012 when their duplex was destroyed by a fire reportedly caused by illegal fireworks.

The interdiction operations were conducted at the California Agricultural checkpoints in Yermo
(north of Barstow), Needles, in the community of Shoshone and the Death Valley area. The coordinated multi-agency operation resulted in five felony arrests including one for driving under the influence, 46 misdemeanor arrests and numerous citations for vehicle code violations. During the operation, officers made a total of 170 contacts. The operation also led to the execution of a search warrant in the City of Los Angeles where a large amount of illegal fireworks were believed to be stored.

“This is an excellent example of what can be accomplished when cooperating agencies work
together to prevent illegal activities and protect public safety,” said Hoover.

State Fire Marshal Tonya Hoover said “one thing is for certain; the fireworks that have been
confiscated will not start a disastrous wildfire, set a home on fire or send a young child to the
emergency room.” Remember, illegal fireworks are just that, illegal.

Safe and sane fireworks are to only be used in approved localities. The public needs to understand that it is illegal to transport, possess, use or store even safe and sane fireworks in communities and rural areas that don’t allow their use. Safe and sane does not mean non-dangerous.

According to statistics from the U. S. Consumer Product Safety Commission more than 50% of fireworks injuries in 2011 were due to the inappropriate use of fireworks. The CPSC also says that the vast majority of injuries are caused by fireworks that are illegal in California. Be fire safe by being fire smart and have a safe Fourth of July.

The agencies that cooperated with CAL FIRE law enforcement officers included the California Agricultural
Checkpoints at Yermo and Needles, The San Bernardino County District Attorney’s Office, The
San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department, Riverside County Sheriff’s Department, Inyo
California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, County Sheriff’s Department, Inyo County District Attorney’s Office, CHP offices in Bishop and Barstow, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, San Bernardino County Fire Department, United States Forest Service, Southern Inyo Fire Protection District, and the Caltrans Shoshone Office.

California Fire News 2012

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How fires get their names

Every year in California thousands of wildfires start throughout the state. In most cases, the dispatch center sending the initial resources to a wildland fire will designate a name for the fire, but the first on scene engine or fire official can also name the incident. Fires are usually named for the area in which they start – a geographical location, local landmark, street, lake, mountain, peak, etc. Quickly naming the fire provides responding fire resources with an additional locater, and allows fire officials to track and prioritize incidents by name. For example during the Southern California Fire Siege of 2003, the largest wildland fire in California history, the Cedar Fire in San Diego County, was named after the Cedar Creek Falls area where it started. The destructive Old Fire, which burned during the same time period in San Bernardino County, was named after the road along which it started - Old Waterman Canyon Road.

CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States. CDF - CAL FIRE Firefighters answer the call more than 300,000 times a year. CAL FIRE Firefighters make up the fire department for 30 of our 58 counties in California and more than 100 local communities. We serve as the incident command during many of California’s most serious disasters. CAL FIRE Firefighters respond to many various types and forms of calls ranging from structural fires, to auto accidents, to earthquakes, to floods, to the spilling of hazardous materials, to every conceivable disaster; CAL FIRE answer's the calls. CAL FIRE is the largest fire department in California and the second largest fire department in the United States . CAL FIRE firefighters protect 33 million acres of State Responsibility Area (SRA). We have over 4,000 members within CAL FIRE and CAL FIRE is associated with the California Professional Firefighters (CPF) and the International Association of Firefighters (IAFF).

CFN - CALIFORNIA FIRE NEWS - CAL FIRE NEWS

Wednesday, July 4, 2012