No ban on
”
safe and sane
”
pyrotechnics in Hollister
Despite some rumblings last year that the city of Hollister
should ban the sale of
”
safe and sane
”
fireworks, officials said this week that no such plans are in
the works.
In the wake of a series of wildfires in the spring of 2008,
including large blazes in the Santa Cruz Mountains and near Big
Sur, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged Fourth of July revelers to
not buy legal fireworks, though he stopped short of ordering a
statewide ban.
No ban on “safe and sane” pyrotechnics in Hollister
Despite some rumblings last year that the city of Hollister should ban the sale of “safe and sane” fireworks, officials said this week that no such plans are in the works.
In the wake of a series of wildfires in the spring of 2008, including large blazes in the Santa Cruz Mountains and near Big Sur, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger urged Fourth of July revelers to not buy legal fireworks, though he stopped short of ordering a statewide ban.
Some Hollister officials last year acknowledged the danger pyrotechnics pose during a drought, but said it was too late to prohibit their sale because local nonprofit groups that run the booths in town had already received permits. No such formal discussions have been held this year, sources said.
Fire Chief Fred Cheshire this week said his crews will continue to keep an eye out for illegal fireworks – primarily those that leave the ground when ignited – and will confiscate and possibly cite offenders as part of the city’s “zero tolerance” policy.
“I’m not saying there isn’t some danger with the legal fireworks, but there’s a list of fireworks that are banned in California, and we take that list and narrow it down more,” he said. “The folks that supply the fireworks to the permitted booths are aware of what items we limit them to.”
A dozen local nonprofit agencies, including San Benito High School’s band, Hollister Little League and Pop Warner football – pay the city $600 to operate booths that sell “safe and sane” fireworks within the city limits.
“The nonprofits that have the booths, this is a huge fundraiser for them,” Cheshire said. “I think it would be a tough decision to tell them ‘You’re not getting your opportunity to make your money by selling fireworks.’ I think it would be a good idea for the community as a whole to use the safe and sane fireworks and not spend their money on the illegal ones.”
Hollister City Manager Clint Quilter said he has not been made aware of any city council members who want to ban the sale of fireworks.
Councilman Doug Emerson, who last year said the issue of a possible ban could come up again this year, said this week that there is “no evidence or record of fires being started [in Hollister] by legal fireworks,” so there is no need to discuss a ban on their sale.
“I would suspect, if anything, that our enforcement on illegal fireworks will be stronger,” he said. “It seems like every year we confiscate more than we did in the previous year.”
Last year, as the wildfires raged across the Central Coast, Emerson said he was contacted by constituents concerned about the use of fireworks during the dry season.
“That’s how our discussion started,” he said. “But no one could come up with data for a local fire caused by legal fireworks.”
Cheshire said he could not recall any large incidents caused by the use of safe and sane fireworks in Hollister, though he did acknowledge an increase in the number of illegal fireworks that his crews confiscated during the Fourth of July holiday.
He added that if a ban on the sale of legal fireworks were ever considered in Hollister, it would likely be after an incident involving the use of illegal fireworks.
