This Fourth of July, Santa Barbara city officials are cracking down on fireworks safety and enforcement.
"Want to encourage everybody to remember all fireworks in the city are illegal, whether safe and sane or not. Just one firework could just change the night for everybody in the community," said Santa Barbara City Fire Inspector Aaron Lynn.
Lynn says fireworks are the direct cause of thousands of injuries nationwide each year around the Fourth of July.
Starting Thursday night, city fire and police are teaming up to conduct directed patrols aimed at educating the public about fireworks regulations and enforcing the law.
"We’ll definitely be increasing our numbers that day. If we see the fireworks, we're going to be confiscating those and issuing citations. The citations can be anywhere, depending on the offense, it could be anywhere up, up to $1,000. Could also be jail time up to six months," said Santa Barbara Police Sergeant Bryan Kerr.
City Fire encourages everyone to stay hydrated, seek shade, use sunscreen, and limit alcohol consumption.
This year’s festivities will kick off with music on West Beach starting at noon on Friday, leading up to fireworks over the water starting at 9 p.m. Waterfront representative Angela Rodriguez says to be prepared for large crowds.
"In that whole waterfront area, we may get anywhere between 80 and 90, 100,000 people or so," Rodriguez said.
She says safety is a top priority, and if you see something, say something. For non-emergencies, you can contact local police at (805) 882-8900.
Full list of waterfront activities and music lineup: https://santabarbaraca.gov/things-do/city-events/fourth-july-celebration
