- July 4th safety
- Illegal fireworks
- Fire department response
- Holiday safety
Fireworks citations
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) - Kern County and Bakersfield fire departments are fully staffed and expecting their busiest night of the year as they respond to an overwhelming number of calls this Independence Day.
Fire officials are not allowing ride-alongs this year due to the anticipated high volume of emergency responses.
"We do our best to educate people on the unsafe side of things, what happens if you use illegal fireworks, the potential for injury, the potential for fires," Andrew Freeborn, PIO Kern County Fire Department, said.
Despite warnings and enforcement efforts, illegal fireworks continue to light up the sky across our neighborhoods, keeping first responders constantly moving from call to call.
Freeborn said they typically issue about 100 citations for illegal fireworks use each Independence Day, with fines starting at $1,500.
"Where there are individuals that are disregarding that important message, they are choosing to use illegal fireworks, we will go ahead and cite those individuals," Freeborn said.
As celebrations continue into the night, crews remain ready in our neighborhoods — hoping for a safe holiday but prepared to respond quickly when needed.
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