In a press conference Wednesday, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office announced it seized close to 10,000 pounds of illegal fireworks.
Illegal fireworks seized across the Sacramento area on the 4th of July weekend
The Fourth of July was a busy holiday for law enforcement and fire agencies across the Sacramento region.
In Sacramento, the Sacramento Fire Department said firefighters responded to a total of 64 fire-related calls, including four structure fires, 26 vegetation fires and 27 rubbish fires.
Illegal fireworks were reported throughout the night, as there were 418 complaints to the fire department, officials said.
The fire department said it issued 32 citations for a total of $35,000 in fines.
Fines for illegal fireworks in Sacramento range from $1,000 to $5,000. As for Sacramento County, there’s an additional fine for setting off fireworks near the American River Parkway at $10,000. That number is set for each violation that occurs within the area from the Sacramento River to Folsom Lake.
San Joaquin County seized illegal fireworks after a six-week operation
In a press conference Wednesday, the San Joaquin County Sheriff’s Office announced it seized close to 10,000 pounds of illegal fireworks.
San Joaquin County Sheriff Pat Withrow said the seizure of the fireworks was part of a six-week task force operation that ended with obtaining 9,962.5 pounds of illegal fireworks and 540 destructive devices.
The six-week operation went through all the way to July 4.
Last year, the sheriff’s office seized 2,988.4 pounds of illegal fireworks and six destructive devices.
Out of the nearly 10,000 pounds of illegal fireworks, the sheriff’s office seized 380 commercial fireworks during the operation.
In addition to obtaining the fireworks, Withrow said the operation included 17 arrests and 16 referrals to the district attorney’s office. The sheriff’s office also seized nine guns and 8.7 grams of cocaine.
The six-week operation included the seizure of 447.6 pounds of illegal fireworks at a home in Ripon and Tracy.
Citrus Heights police seized hundreds of illegal fireworks
In Sacramento County, the Citrus Heights Police Department announced in a tweet that over 500 illegal fireworks were reported online.
Officers seized around 216.4 pounds of illegal fireworks throughout the holiday weekend, police said.
Police added that officers arrested five people for driving under the influence, handled several accidents and located three at-risk missing people.
Shasta County releases final numbers from Lake Shasta
In a Facebook post, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office released its final numbers from Lake Shasta during the Fourth of July holiday.
Despite the low water levels on the lake, the water was filled with boaters throughout the holiday weekend.
The sheriff’s office said 29 people were assisted while also helping 15 vessels. Deputies made 19 boating under the influence evaluations, which ended with three BUI arrests.
According to the sheriff’s office, 63 boating warnings were given with six citations issued.
No accidents were reported.
Modesto Fire responds to numerous fires
The Modesto Fire Department was also busy during the Fourth of July, as it received a high call volume.
Crews from Modesto responded to numerous vegetation, fence, nuisance and structure fires that were mostly related to illegal fireworks.
Officials from the fire department said the fires related to illegal fireworks activity are being investigated by the Stanislaus Regional Fire Investigation Unit and the Modesto Police Department.