For sake of firefighters and everyone breathing, time to douse fireworks in Fresno | Opinion

The foothills east of Fresno are burning. Lightning-caused wildfires have torched thousands of acres, forced mandatory evacuations, threatened livelihoods and pumped harmful smoke into the air.

How do we city-dwellers react?

By intentionally setting off fireworks on and around the Fourth of July that spark dozens of neighborhood fires and create even more toxic air pollution spikes while frightening pets and people with PTSD.

Please make it make sense.

Besides the criminal element, Fresno, Clovis and other central San Joaquin Valley cities consist of law-abiding citizens. But every July, a faction (often under the guise of misplaced patriotism) transforms into pyromaniacs with no regard for their own safety or the safety of others.

During a typical 24-hour period, the Fresno Fire Department responds to 20 to 25 fire calls. Last year, between 8 a.m. on July 4 and 8 a.m. on July 5, firefighters responded to 120 — a number that has remained fairly constant annually since 2020.

“The last few years,” Fresno Fire Chief Billy Alcorn told me, “have been incredibly busy: Nonstop fires from sundown to past midnight.”

Things get so hectic that every available firefighter and engine is involved in fire suppression efforts, resulting in delayed response times to all but the most dire medical emergencies.

In April 2022, the Fresno City Council passed an ordinance that stiffened fines for illegal fireworks and allowed homeowners and renters to be cited based on citizen reports and video evidence. Since then, police and fire investigators have written 95 citations worth a total of $213,000 in fines.

But has there been any observable or measurable decline? Nope.

Fresno’s fireworks fetish was best captured by local photographer David Hunter , who last July 4th set up two cameras on the roof of the Community Regional Medical Center employees parking garage. The photo composites he assembled (each consists of about 40 images taken over a two-hour span) show the skies above downtown lit up like closing time at Disneyland.

“I would say all of those fireworks are illegal except for the (Fresno) Grizzlies,” Hunter said.

Air district incentives a hit

Despite what our ears and eyes are sure to tell us this week, there have been some encouraging developments. Signs that indicate the social mores might be shifting.

Roughly a decade ago, the San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District offered free money to cities, counties, school districts and business owners to replace their traditional fireworks displays with environmentally friendly drone-piloted LED light shows.

There were zero takers.

In February, the air district tried again by setting aside $250,000 to create what it called the Clean Alternatives to Fireworks Pilot Incentive Program. And this time, 25 separate entities submitted applications — for a total ask of $845,500.

Board members, to their credit, added another $600,000 to the pile so that every request to switch from fireworks displays on the Fourth of July or during other large-scale events received funding.

The city of Visalia got $50,000 (the maximum grant) for Wednesday night’s Independence Spectacular at Riverway Sports Park. As did the agricultural associations that put on the Big Fresno Fair and the Stanislaus County Fair. Other recipients included the city of Hanford, Clovis Unified, the Clovis Rodeo, Island Water Park and the promoter behind the Taco Truck Throwdown.

Valley Children’s Hospital also got in on the action, securing $16,000 for a 10-minute drone show for its Harvest Ball Gala in September. Even though CEO Todd Suntrapak probably has more than that in his change jar.

(Sorry, couldn’t resist.)

Legal fireworks bad, too

Distinctions certainly must be made between legal and illegal fireworks. According to Alcorn, the “vast majority” of fires are caused by the illegal variety (bottle rockets or mortar shells that land in dry grass or on someone’s roof ) rather than the “safe and sane” type peddled by local clubs and nonprofits.

Every once in a while, however, someone will dispose of a legal firework that isn’t completely extinguished and a fire will break out.

Even though for-sale fireworks may not cause as many fires, make no mistake: cones, sparklers and Ground Bloom Flowers are even worse for the air quality because the smoke they create remains at ground level instead of dispersing hundreds of feet above.

Contained within that smoke are PM 2.5s, an insidious particulate that gets absorbed through the lungs into the bloodstream and has been linked to heart attacks and strokes. People with asthma or other respiratory issues are most severely affected.

Since 2018 I have advocated (at times vehemently) for a ban on all personal fireworks — legal or not. Four years later, Fresno City Councilmember Miguel Arias and The Bee’s Editorial Board joined the chorus .

So far, we remain voices crying in the wilderness. How many more years of Fourth of July mayhem and needless air pollution will it take until others come to their senses?

The last thing Fresno needs is more fires. Whether they result from lightning strikes or careless morons.