Coachella Valley fire officials warn residents about firework safety and risks during the Fourth of July
Tori King
PALM SPRINGS, Calif. (KESQ) — The Fourth of July is just days away, and local fire official are warning desert residents about the dangers of illegal fireworks here in the Coachella Valley.
“This weekend, we had over a dozen fires in Southern California,” Said Palm Springs Fire Chief Paul Alvarado. “We had so many brush fires because the weather is hot, the grass and the brush out there is dry, and it’s ready for a fire. So any little spark can cause a wildfire.”
Cathedral City Fire Department is also trying to raise awareness. This year, the department teamed up with the city to pay for signage, warning residents about the fireworks laws, and the consequences of breaking them.
“It’s al about public awareness, right,” said CCFD Chief Michael Contreras. “Do some people just not know that they’re illegal in Cathedral City? Well, let’s tell them. That’s our primary goal, is to tell people they’re illegal and to not use them. And then the the second piece is to try to get as much exposure as possible. So this year, we made a conscious effort with the council’s approval that we’re going to put them on all our vehicles, and all over town.”
According to the National Fire Protection Association, fireworks are responsible for thousands of incidents every year. The NFPA reports around 18,500 fires caused by fireworks on average annually, causing an estimated $43,000,000 in damages.
Not only are they dangerous, they can be deadly. Despite the annual warnings, thousands of people were injured in fireworks-related accidents here in the U.S. in 2024. According to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, around 14,700 people were sent to Emergency Rooms and treated for fireworks-related injuries or burns across the country last year.
“People that think that it’s okay to break the law, and light fireworks and put the community at risk, they’re wrong,” said Alvarado. “In the city of Palm Springs, we don’t stand for that.”
During that same time period, eleven people died from fireworks-related accidents. That’s why both departments are on standby for the holiday.
“Every fire department in Southern California is doing the same thing I’m doing,” said Alvarado. “We’re trying to help out our mutual aid partners with brush fires in Southern California, but we also have to make sure the city is safe, so we’re working on that today to make sure we have plenty of firefighters on standby on the fourth.”
“We get double the amount of calls every fourth,” said Contreras. “It could be something from a spark or a larger firework. It could be the big mortar type fireworks, you know, Roman candles and things like that. And so really, the day, as the day progresses, it gets worse with the amount of calls, and usually about midnight or one o’clock is where it peaks. And then we just, we deal with whatever comes our way, whether it be a fire, an injury, a DUI crash. We just want people to be safe, but we are ready no matter what happens.”
Riverside County Fire, the Riverside County Sheriff’s Office, and the county Code Enforcement Department will be actively pursuing individuals who light fireworks without a permit.
During last year’s enforcement, nearly 300 citations were issued, while 10 people were arrested, and over 400 pounds of illegal fireworks were confiscated.
Under local ordinance, California-approved “safe and sane” fireworks such as sparklers and fountains are permitted only within the city limits of Blythe, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs, and Indio. They are not permitted in other local cities.
News Channel 3’s Tori King is speaking with PSFD about safety tips this 4th of July, stay tuned for her coverage at 4, 5, and 6 p.m.
