Legal Fireworks Allowed Near Palos Verdes: Safe And Sane Cities

LOS ANGELES, CA — Despite the historic drought and risk of wildfire, there are still hundreds of California cities that allow residents to set off “safe and sane fireworks,” including dozens in Los Angeles County.

For thousands of nonprofits ranging from little league teams to high school booster clubs, the sale of fireworks every summer is a primary source of fundraising in California. But in sweltering summertime California, a single stray spark can trigger a massive wildfire. The National Fire Protection Association recently reported that fireworks start an average of 18,500 fires per year.

In California, 296 communities allow fireworks authorized by the State Fire Marshal, known colloquially as “safe and sane fireworks.” In those cities local nonprofits will sell the fireworks from June 28 until July 6, though some cities may limit that to shorter time windows.

Individual cities have different rules when it comes to fireworks legality. In Los Angeles County, the following cities have "safe and sane" fireworks allowed:

• Alhambra
• Artesia
• Azusa
• Baldwin Park
• Bellflower
• Carson
• Commerce
• Compton
• Cudahy
• Downey
• El Monte
• Gardena
• Hawaiian Gardens
• Hawthorne
• Huntington Park
• Industry
• Inglewood
• Irwindale
• La Mirada
• La Puente
• Lakewood
• Lawndale
• Lynwood
• Maywood
• Montebello
• Monterey Park
• Norwalk
• Palmdale
• Paramount
• Pico Rivera
• Rosemead
• Santa Fe Springs
• South El Monte
• South Gate
• Temple City
• Vernon

“Safe and sane” fireworks are usually benign sparklers, but generally they are more defined by what they’re not than what they are. They are any type that the Fire Marshal does not categorize as “dangerous,” and all display an official Fire Marshal seal of approval. To be ruled “safe and sane,” fireworks:

• Cannot explode or fly into the air
• Cannot contain arsenic sulfide, chlorates, magnesium, and many other chemicals.
• Cannot be larger than 10 inches in length or a quarter-inch in diameter.

Illegal fireworks include skyrockets, bottle rockets, aerial missiles and spinners, Roman candles, aerial shells, firecrackers and more.

Across California, penalties for selling, possessing or transporting illegal fireworks that do not carry the official seal can be as high as $50,000 and include up to a year in jail, according to Daniel Berlant, Cal Fire’s Deputy Director of Community Wildlife Preparedness and Mitigation. Many California cities are slapping several thousand-dollar misdemeanor citations to anyone possessing even state-approved fireworks.

Most of California’s major cities ban fireworks, including Los Angeles, San Francisco, all of San Diego County, all of San Mateo County, and San Jose. Somewhat surprisingly, approved fireworks are permitted in Sacramento.

While many more California cities ban all fireworks, there are still several that permit them. See here for the latest list of cities that sell them.

Some CalFire Fireworks Safety Tips:

• Use only State Fire Marshal approved fireworks
• Local ordinances should be verified before purchasing and/or using fireworks
• Always read directions
• Always have an adult present
• Use fireworks outdoors only
• Never use near dry grass or other flammable materials
• Light one at a time
• Have a bucket of water and a hose handy
• Though common sense may apply in most of these cases, CalFire offers the following suggestions to avoid injuring yourself or endangering others.

Injury Prevention Safety Tips:

• Never place any part of your body directly over a fireworks device when lighting the fuse
• Back up several feet immediately after lighting fireworks
• Never point or throw fireworks at another person
• Never experiment with fireworks
• Never attempt to relight or “fix” fireworks
• Do not wear loose fitting clothing
• Never carry fireworks in your pockets