Huntington Beach officials stress firework safety ahead of holiday weekend

Fireworks went on sale at booths throughout Huntington Beach on Wednesday, with fire department officials stressing responsible use of the pyrotechnics as the Fourth of July nears.

Only "safe and sane " fireworks are legal to light off in the city, and even those fireworks may only be ignited on the holiday itself, Saturday, between noon and 10 p.m.

One way to know if your fireworks are safe and sane is that they will have the seal of the California State Fire Marshal on them, Huntington Beach Fire Capt. Steve Teasdale said.

Advertisement "Anything that goes aerial in the air and explodes is obviously an illegal firework, " Teasdale said. "Part of the issue with those is that they 're true explosives, they 're not safe to be lit anywhere. We do see a lot of those every year, and because they are unstable and unpredictable, we do see a large amount of injuries with those fireworks. We get a lot of hand, face burn injuries."

Legal or illegal fireworks discharged improperly could result in a $500 citation, the Huntington Beach Police Department warns. Fireworks may not be discharged on any beach, wetland or public park, all areas on the ocean side of Pacific Coast Highway or within 10 feet of a residence or oil wells. Public, nonresidential property, commercial and industrial /manufacturing districts and within 300 feet of a fireworks stand - or 100 feet of a gas station - are other areas in the city where fireworks can 't be lit.

Dr. Rombod Rahimian, chief medical officer for the Huntington Beach Fire Department., said he sees traumatic injuries in Huntington Beach every Fourth of July.

The biggest risk comes with the illegal firework mortars, while bottle rockets and M- 80s are other examples of illegal fireworks that can cause serious injury.

"Mortars are the highest morbidity, " Rahimian said. "One year, someone lit it in their car trying to shoot it out their sunroof, and it exploded in the car. We had four victims, airbags deployed and windows broken. We had traumatic amputations."

Teasdale added that last year, a mortar was knocked over and shot sideways, launching into someone 's garage and causing a structure fire.

Fireworks rules vary by city ; they 're illegal to use in Newport Beach, Laguna Beach and Fountain Valley. Costa Mesa is another local city that, like Huntington Beach, allows the use of safe and sane fireworks.

Many county cities are offering fireworks shows this year, which Rahimian said is the best way to celebrate the holiday as America turns 250 years old.

"Every year, we have people in this city that light fireworks that will never have use of their hands again, " Rahimian said. "These are totally devastating injuries that impact people 's quality of life, so we really want to prevent death and disability."

He added that many of the injuries occur in males ages 10 to 30.

"Those are a lot of years after that they 're not going to be able to write or throw, or even hold a cup, " Rahimian said.

The Huntington Beach Fire Department recommends having a fire extinguisher or hose nearby if residents ignite safe and sane fireworks, along with a bucket full of water.

"We recommend you let them cool off as long as you can without handling them, then put them in a bucket of water and let them sit for a while in there and cool down before you properly dispose of them in the trash can, " Teasdale said.

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