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The city of Carson earlier this year made the use, sale and discharge of fireworks illegal within the community, but the new policy doesn’t seem to be stopping people from putting on their own fireworks shows.
The ordinance, passed by the city council in March, makes it so that the public display of fireworks must be put on by a pyrotechnic operator with a permit. That includes sparklers, smoke bombs and fireworks designated as “safe and sane.”
Those who are not in possession of the permit could face fines and possibly a misdemeanor conviction; the fines are $2,000 for the first violation, $3,000 for the second violation (within a year of the first violation) and $5,000 for each additional violation after that.
All fines are increased by ten percent if not paid or appealed within 15 days of the issuance of date. Any unpaid fines will accrue ten percent interest each year.
Those penalties, part of the “You Light It, We Cite It” campaign, are not appearing to stop some residents from lighting off fireworks.
Video recently taken by local residents and shared with KTLA shows an elaborate fireworks display over the neighborhood. According to one woman, the fireworks are “disturbing.”
“[The fireworks have] been very loud…they shake the house and they wake and scare the kids,” one resident, Lia Flores, said. “Hearing them cry and then not be able to get back to bed is a problem. We have been here for five years now, and we have experienced this multiple times.”
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The city of Carson earlier this year made the use, sale and discharge of fireworks illegal within the community, but the new policy doesn’t seem to be stopping people from putting on their own fireworks shows. (Syram Ascencio Arivir) -
The city of Carson earlier this year made the use, sale and discharge of fireworks illegal within the community, but the new policy doesn’t seem to be stopping people from putting on their own fireworks shows. (Syram Ascencio Arivir) -
The city of Carson earlier this year made the use, sale and discharge of fireworks illegal within the community, but the new policy doesn’t seem to be stopping people from putting on their own fireworks shows. (Syram Ascencio Arivir) -
The city of Carson earlier this year made the use, sale and discharge of fireworks illegal within the community, but the new policy doesn’t seem to be stopping people from putting on their own fireworks shows. (Syram Ascencio Arivir)
Area residents told KTLA that they believe local businesses are renting out space in warehouse parking lots for groups of people to light off the fireworks. Those businesses don’t have any issues paying the fines, residents say.
And while city officials say the increased penalties were put into place to protect people and animals who could be traumatized by the loud explosions, neighbors say there just isn’t enough enforcement.
“It can last for 10 minutes or up to half an hour,” said Joanne, another Carson resident. “I ask my husband to call 911 because I think it’s not going to stop.”
“It’s not right, especially at night,” she continued. “The city needs to do something about it.”
Carson residents are reminded that they can anonymously report firework activity to the city’s public safety department; however, with the Fourth of July a month away, the complaints may continue to pile up as the night sky lights up due to the illegal fireworks displays.
