With an abundance if illegal fireworks exploding throughout
Hollister over the holiday weekend, City Council members discussed
increasing fines for possessing the fiery and dangerous novelties
during their Tuesday meeting in an effort to curtail their use.
With an abundance if illegal fireworks exploding throughout Hollister over the holiday weekend, City Council members discussed increasing fines for possessing the fiery and dangerous novelties during their Tuesday meeting in an effort to curtail their use.
Educating people to the high risks illegal fireworks pose and other activities people can participate in is another way the city could help curb illegal usage in the future, City Councilman Tony LoBue said.
“I would not support banning all fireworks in any way, shape or form – a lot of nonprofits benefit from the sales,” he said. “If a lot more people knew that Marguerite Maze puts on a great display of fireworks they wouldn’t have to use their own.”
If City Council members did decide to raise the fine for a citation, they could do it with a vote to amend the bail schedule, according to City Attorney Elaine Cass. Currently, possessing illegal fireworks carries a $162 fine under the Hollister Municipal Code.
Hollister Fire Chief Bill Garringer said there has been an increase in illegal fireworks over the past two years.
The fire department issued between eight and 10 citations for illegal use, but primarily tried to confiscate and move on because the amount of calls coming in was so high, Garringer said. While patrolling the streets one night during the weekend, Garringer’s unmarked car was hit by a bottle rocket (a type of illegal firework) a group of kids were shooting at cars instead of into the sky.
“I flipped on the red lights and that got their attention… and I confiscated the fireworks and admonished the parents a little,” Garringer said. “It is a holiday and we want people to have a good time… As long as they cooperated we confiscated and moved on and told them to have a nice evening.”
This year illegal fireworks started six small vegetation fires in the city over the weekend and burned a shed to the ground at El Torro and Hillcrest streets on Friday, according to firefighters.
“We were really lucky nothing burned because we had plenty of it,” Garringer said. “We confiscated as much as we could… but we didn’t touch 1 percent of it – by the time we got to a place they were shooting them off at the people were gone.”
Any firework that explodes or shoots into the air is considered illegal in California.
Fire Marshal Michael O’Connor’s sole priority over the weekend was dealing with illegal firework use, and with the help of firefighters and police officers confiscated about 80 pounds, he said.
Most of the activity occurred on the Fourth, with over 100 calls for illegal fireworks on that day alone, O’Connor said.
“In years past we’ve had a lot of explosions and illegal fireworks used prior to the Fourth, but that wasn’t the case this year,” he said. “People saved them to the last day.”
Part of the problem with illegal firework use is that people don’t realize the damage they could cause or the risk they’re taking with their pocketbooks and their freedom, O’Connor said.
Although none of the people who received citations were charged with a misdemeanor, they could have been, and some could have been charged with a felony for the amount they possessed, he said.
“It’s up to one year in prison and up to a $5,000 fine,” O’Connor said. “A lot of people were shocked… I don’t think anyone wants to go to jail over fireworks.”
A ban on all fireworks would not solve the problem of illegal fireworks within the city, O’Connor said. He asserted that increased fines, along with education and more enforcement could help stop the problem.
“We need to continue to explain to people that, sure, you can buy it over the Internet, but if you get caught you could see a prison sentence and heavy fines,” he said.
Long-time Hollister resident Pauline Mifsud said this year’s celebration was one of the worst she’s witnessed.
“It felt like we were in Baghdad with the amount of noise,” she said. “I had no idea they were able to get those… In fact you didn’t have to go and look at the fireworks that the city put on, you just looked outside your window and they’re all over your neighborhood.”
Erin Musgrave can be reached at 637-5566, ext. 336 or at
em*******@fr***********.com.
