Officials with Cal Fire’s Office of the State Fire Marshal announced the seizure of more than 100,000 pounds of illegal fireworks from a business in Los Angeles County.
Details are limited, but in a news release Cal Fire said investigators responded to reports that a current fireworks importer and exporter in Commerce was not following “laws and regulations required by their license.”
Preliminary reports suggest fire officials were conducting the operation around South Malt Avenue and Telegraph Road, a primarily industrial area, though the exact location, nor the name of the business has been confirmed.
In photos of the seizure released by Cal Fire, both police and fire officials can be seen in what appears to be a warehouse-style location where dozens of wooden pallets are stacked with hundreds of boxes of the illegal fireworks.
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Cal Fire officials and police seen at a warehouse in Commerce where more than 100,000 pounds of illegal fireworks were seized on May 21, 2025. (Cal Fire) -
Cal Fire officials and police seen at a warehouse in Commerce where more than 100,000 pounds of illegal fireworks were seized on May 21, 2025. (Cal Fire) -
South Malta Avenue and Telegraph Road, an industrial area in Commerce, seen in this undated Google Maps image.
Officials said that more than $4 million worth of property damage and loss has been caused from fires started by fireworks since the beginning of 2025.
The release stressed the state’s zero tolerance stance on the sale of illegal fireworks that include:
- Sky rockets
- Bottle rockets
- Roman candles
- Aerial shells
- Firecrackers or other fireworks that go into the air or move uncontrollably on the ground
“As we approach the 4th of July and a typical increase in usage of illegal fireworks, this seizure should be a reminder of our zero tolerance to illegal fireworks in California,” California State Fire Marshal Daniel Berlant said.
Anyone with information about this investigation is encouraged to contact Cal Fire’s Arson and Bomb Unit at [email protected].
