The following is a statement issued by the National Weather Service Eureka California
North-northwest winds are forecast to gust up to 25 mph across portions of southern Mendocino county and western/southern Lake county Thursday afternoon through Friday evening. In addition, hot afternoon temperatures will favor humidity values in the teens. Those conditions combined with dry vegetation will support a critical fire weather threat.
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Only people who heed warnings are already careful. Here by airport, many have no consideration re fire hazards. BBQs near bone-dry grass. Fireworks…even this time of year.
Neighbors behind us had “quinceanera” celebration last week, concert-level music for 12 hrs. 11pm: BAM! BANG! BANGBANG!! We thought another gang shooting (would be fourth inside three months). Realized they’re blowing off fireworks.
Neighborhood is extremely dry. City of Ukiah giving penalties for “overuse” of water now has many leaving lawns dried up. Marijuana and wine grape growers free to use millions of gallons (and drying up our creeks with pumps, leaking fertilizers and pesticides by tons into our creeks and rivers). Yet homeowners forced through penalty to leave yards bone-dry; in extreme fire hazard areas.
So, call the cops? By time police can arrive, fireworks are done. When they do catch them, pat on the bottom, enough to stop them until police leave. Then back to fireworks. Police have no leverage, their job is to do only as city/county dictates.
Happens here all the time. Fourth of July we had huge fiesta-style gathering, 50 at least, fill the streets, then let off HUGE fireworks. We’re talking fairgrounds style. 60, 70 feet into the air. Two hours of it. People called police. Stopped every time…for few minutes.
Then BAM POOF BAM! Everybody nervous with garden hoses ready. Not only Hispanic folks, they just had the biggest fireworks, longest time. Several other non-Hispanics in neighborhood setting fireworks off too. Problem is, nothing is done.
“Sir/Maam, please stop using fireworks” is about as effective as, “Son, don’t eat the cookie before dinner”. County and city needs to mandate *immediate* and firm punishment, in the form of fines and jail time, for any and all fireworks. Setting off fireworks? Straight to jail. Print the arrests in newspaper, headline it on local news sites; people will get the message.
Setting off fireworks in today’s conditions may as well be attempted murder. Sound like an extreme conclusion? Stop and think about it for a minute.
They’re illegal. They’re dangerous. They’re life-threatening. And it’s when, not if, it will spark a dry lawn and burn up somebody’s mom, dad, or children.