Santa Maria Officials Prepare For The Nation’s 250th Fourth Of July
SANTA MARIA, Calif. (KEYT) - Santa Maria city officials and first responders are preparing for the nation’s 250th Independence Day celebration.
Local leaders are reminding the public of the consequences for using illegal fireworks.
Leaders and officials want everyone to have a great Independence Day, and especially since our semi-quincentennial celebration is on Saturday, they say they’re expecting a prolific use of fireworks overall.
But they’re reminding the public that safe and sane fireworks are all that are allowed, and only on Saturday.
“In a nutshell, if a fireworks can leave the ground, it is not safe and sane,” says Santa Maria’s fire marshal Jim Austin.
Officials say the use of illegal fireworks has become a highly prevalent issue in recent years as the population has grown.
“I’ve lived in Santa Maria since 2004,” says Jane Teh, administrative analyst for the City of Santa Maria. “The celebrations have gotten more and more robust you may say, with each passing year.”
Residents report repeated use of illegal fireworks in the weeks leading up to and subsequent to July 4th, every year—as well as the holiday itself.
“I’m sure everybody heard them over the weekend and it starts ramping up and it increases till the 4th of July,” says Austin. “As we approach dusk or it gets dark, then literally this entire city is active.”
Ordinances from the state and county have become more strict in recent years, yet city leaders affirm the issue persists.
“With larger numbers of people, you're going to have more celebrations taking place,” says Teh.
For those who are noise sensitive or have sensitive pets, yard signs printed in both English and Spanish are available for free all week at City Hall.
“The goal of the signs is to notify basically your neighbors,” says Teh. “This kind of alerts somebody to be a little bit more considerate and mindful.”
Fire department officials say citations have been increasing in recent years thanks to the implementation of aircraft and drone technologies.
“This year is the 250th anniversary of our great nation,” says Austin. “So I would request that people celebrate responsibly.”
Citations for using illegal fireworks are $1,000 apiece, and residents can report their use by calling the city’s fireworks hotline or visiting their website by clicking here.
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