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Fire Officials Explode Watermelons To Warn Against The Danger Of Fireworks In Santa Clarita

On Monday, multiple agencies held a pyrotechnic demonstration that destroyed several objects to warn residents of the dangers of using any and all illegal fireworks this Fourth of July weekend.

Officials with the Los Angeles County Fire and Sheriff’s Departments, City of Santa Clarita and the Grossman Burn Center held their fireworks demonstration in the back lot of Fire Station 126 on Citrus Street in Valencia.

“As the Fourth of July starts to approach I expect many of you have already made plans to celebrate with family and friends by enjoying a family barbecue and a pool party, there are many ways to celebrate the Fourth, but I must urge you to leave fireworks to professionals,” said  Santa Clarita Mayor Laurene Weste.

The current drought California is experiencing ranks as the worst in at least 1,200 years and the danger of inadvertently starting a brush fire is higher than ever, added Mayor Weste.

“Fireworks are dangerous, Fireworks injure nearly 10,000 Americans a year,” said acting LACoFD Assistant Chief Nick Berkuta.

Every Fourth of July, people can suffer permanent injuries due to accidents involving fireworks, with the most common involving accidents where individuals blow off a finger or hand, or have the objects literally blow up in their face, causing blindness, said Dr. Matt Young, Medical Director of the Grossman Burn Center

If Santa Clarita Valley residents witness someone lighting off fireworks and report it, they could receive a $500 reward. Inversely, residents setting off fireworks can face a penalty.

“Within the city, there’s a $500 fine for a first offense and $1,000 fines for any subsequent offense,” said Captain Justin Diaz of the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.

After the speeches, officials used a sparkler, burning at over 2000 degrees Fahrenheit, to light a shirt on fire to show how easily injuries can occur, with a set of shorts and the shirt melting and burning away until it was completely destroyed in under one and a half minutes.

This display was immediately followed by the explosion of a phone book and two watermelons through the use of the same pyrotechnics.

The overall message from local officials is to leave fireworks and sparklers to professionals, so as to avoid injuries, deaths or the starting of brush fires.

“I wish that we were gathering to just talk about the firework shows and not having to advocate for our folks not to use illegal fireworks in Santa Clarita,” said Stephanie English, field deputy for L.A. County Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who represents the Fifth District.

Last year alone, there were two brush fires in our Santa Clarita Vallery that were sparked by illegal fireworks, English said.

To report illegal fireworks, residents may call the Santa Clarita Valley’s Sheriff’s Station main line at 661-260-4000. Unless fireworks have caused an injury or sparked a fire, 911 should not be used to report them.

Residents may also visit the Los Angeles County Fire Department’s website here for the Ready Set Go wildfire action plan and to view short videos on how to increase the chances of your home surviving a wildfire.


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Fire Officials Explode Watermelons To Warn Against The Danger Of Fireworks In Santa Clarita

5 comments

  1. I can’t believe the fire chief Daryl Osby approved this waste of
    Perfectly good watermelon.

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