Bad behavior by a few rowdies is seriously endangering fireworks
fun for the entire community.
Bad behavior by a few rowdies is seriously endangering fireworks fun for the entire community.
San Benito County, one of the last bastions of safe-and-sane fireworks sales in the state, will surely go the way of almost every other community by banning the sale and use of fireworks if this year’s Independence Day shenanigans are repeated next
July 4.
For the sake of the many community groups who benefit from fireworks sales, if nothing else, we’d hate to see that happen.
A house fire in which the roof caught on fire and many other incidents regarding illegal fireworks, including a brush fire on Union Road, kept firefighters scrambling. The community is fortunate that no serious injuries resulted, all of which firefighters suspect were started by fireworks.
Let’s not have a repeat of this year’s near tragedies.
We urge the cities of Hollister and San Juan Bautista to establish a hotline next July 4 for community members to report illegal fireworks. We’d also like to see a campaign encouraging citizens to use the hotline – to dispel the possible worry that anyone calling in illegal fireworks is a spoilsport.
In reality, the spoilsports are those using illegal fireworks or setting off any fireworks in areas where they are banned. Besides endangering the health and safety of themselves and others, they’re likely to ruin the safe and sane fireworks fun and fund-raisers for the rest of the community.
Safe and sane fireworks do not leave the ground or explode. Anyone spotting fireworks that don’t meet that description could immediately call the hotline to report the situation to police and fire officials.
Dry summertime conditions and fireworks are a potentially lethal combination. Fireworks in the hands of inexperienced, untrained users pose a high risk for injury and death.
Let’s be safe and sane ourselves, or we won’t even have those fireworks available in a few years.
To respond to this editorial or comment on this issue, please send or bring letters to Editor, Hollister Free Lance, 350 Sixth St., Hollister, Calif. 95023 or fax to 637-4104 or e-mail to [email protected].
