Santa Barbara County getting fired up for Fourth of July celebrations
SANTA BARBARA COUNTY, Calif. – The Fourth of July is on Tuesday of this year and ahead of the extra long weekend, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department wants to remind residents that all fireworks, even 'safe and sane' ones are illegal in all unincorporated areas of the county.
Cities like Santa Barbara, Goleta, Carpinteria, Buellton, and Solvang also prohibit private fireworks.
Those 'safe and sane' fireworks are only allowed within the city limits of Santa Maria, Guadalupe, and Lompoc and only from approved vendors and even those cities have some notable enforcement tools this year.
The Santa Barbara County Fire Department recommends attending public fireworks displays, such as Santa Barbara's Waterfront show, managed by professional pyrotechnicians and with established protections.
The City of Lompoc invites the community to their Fourth of July Family Fun Day with free admission at Ryon Memorial Park which starts at 11:30 a.m. on Tuesday with a bike parade and live music at noon.
For more information about the event, contact Lompoc Parks & Recreation at 805-875-8100.
The Los Padres National Forest announced that starting Friday that most roads, trails, and recreation areas within the Mt. Pinos Ranger District will reopen ahead of Fourth of July celebrations.
You can enjoy the beautiful scenery of a national park in our backyard, just without any fireworks as they are prohibited within the forest.
The following areas will remain closed:
- Tinta Road (7N04)
- Tinta Trail (24W02)
- Rancho Nuevo Road (7N04-A)
- Rancho Nuevo Trail (24W03) section between Rancho Nuevo and Deal Junction campgrounds in the Dick Smith Wilderness
- Rancho Nuevo Campground
- West Dry Canyon Road (8N19)
There will be heavy equipment and potentially hazardous conditions in some areas as winter storms limited access to many parts of the National Park. More information about access and additional recreational activities can be found at https://www.fs.usda.gov/lpnf.
Some area roads may be closed for Fourth of July celebrations including Highway 246 (Mission Drive) in both directions from Fifth Street to Pine Street for Solvang's Independence Day Parade from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Signs will be in place to alert drivers about these closures and alternate routes available or you can check Caltrans' Quickmap for the most up-to-date information on area road updates.
For residents of Santa Maria, there will be no trash nor recycling collection on the day of the Fourth (Tuesday). Those services will occur one day later, just make sure your residential containers are outside by 6 a.m. on the Fifth of July.
