Ready for some fireworks? Here’s what you need to know in Merced County

Dangerous fires go hand in hand with illegal fireworks, Merced County Fire officials said.

The use of illegal fireworks has always been an issue in Merced County, said Mark Lawson, division chief for Merced County Fire, and the fire department “usually sees an increase of fires during this time, especially when there is an ignition source and dry vegetation.”

Anything without the safe-and-sane logo, that explodes and leaves the ground is considered illegal in the county and state, Lawson said. Any modifications made to safe-and-sane fireworks is also considered illegal, he said.

“Last Fourth of July the amount of (illegal) fireworks around the area was almost uncontrollable,” said Merced County Sheriff Vern Warnke. “People can still be cited for misdemeanors and be prosecuted.”

A citation, arrest or fine can also be the result for those who choose to light off or have illegal fireworks this holiday, according to Lawson.

What the fire department has been working on this year, Lawson said, is educating the public on the risks and damages illegal fireworks can cause people, homes and buildings.

One misconception many people have is there is more moisture in the air and ground because of the record-breaking wet winter in Northern California, Lawson said, but really it created a higher density of dry vegetation.

“Using fireworks around dry vegetation can carry on to homes and buildings” more easily, Lawson said, and can make fires burn quickly, more intensely and be more challenging to put out.

The trend right now is there are a lot of people going out of the state, especially to Nevada, to bring back fireworks that are illegal in California, Warnke said.

“People launch these and they’re not controllable,” Warnke said. “Fire danger is very real … these things come down on vacant lots and trees every year.”

Launching an illegal fireworks can cause people injuries and hundreds of thousands of dollars in damages, Warnke said.

Anyone can turn in illegal fireworks to a fire station in Merced County, Lawson said, so officials can dispose of them properly.

The fire department and sheriff’s office will be having as many people out patrolling as possible, officials said.

Lawson advices adults to not let children light off any fireworks, find an open space away from vegetation to light them and to place fireworks in a bucket of cold water before disposing them.

On July 1 there will be a firework show at Lake McClure beginning at 9 p.m. and a firework show starting at dusk on July 4 at Castle Airport.

This story was originally published June 27, 2017 at 5:59 PM with the headline "Ready for some fireworks? Here’s what you need to know in Merced County."