Sheriff Honsal Reminds Residents Illegal Fireworks Risk Fires, Fines, and Community Safety
Press release from the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office:
Stock photo
The Humboldt County Sheriff William Honsal wants to remind the public that aerial fireworks are illegal in most parts of Humboldt County.
“Fourth of July is a special time in our community. We are asking citizens to please be responsible. If you set off illegal fireworks, there are many things that could go wrong, including harm to yourself or others, fires, and stress for sensitive people and pets,” said Sheriff Honsal.
There is no safe place to launch illegal fireworks in Humboldt County. If someone’s fireworks cause a fire, they will be responsible for the cost and damage. If there is an injury or death, they may face fines, penalties, or criminal prosecution.
The goal of the Humboldt County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) is to encourage our community to celebrate our Independence Day responsibility and to keep families and structures safe this holiday weekend. Please think about our community before you launch illegal fireworks.
‘Safe and sane’ fireworks
Residents can celebrate Fourth of July weekend with “safe and sane” fireworks purchased from vendors, including sparklers, fountains, and firecrackers. Before igniting them, please pay attention to your surroundings and be mindful of people, animals, traffic, and dry vegetation. It’s also important to lock up your pets and give them a quiet place to retreat, as fireworks can cause stress for animals.
Professional fireworks
To safely view aerial fireworks, there will be shows in Fortuna, Eureka, and Benbow. These professional events are produced by trained staff with safety gear and the fire department on standby. The 2025 lineup includes Newburg Park in Fortuna on July 3, the Fourth of July festival in Old Town Eureka on July 4, and the Fourth of July festival at Benbow State Recreation Area on July 4.
If you see any dangerous and reckless activity related to fireworks, please contact your local law enforcement agency. “It is everyone’s responsibility to help keep our community safe,” said Sheriff Honsal. Due to the call volume on the Fourth of July, law enforcement will be prioritizing life safety calls for service. On the Fourth of July, please only call 911 when there is an immediate danger to life or property.
For more information about fireworks safety visit the CALFIRE webpage here: https://readyforwildfire.org/
prevent-wildfire/fireworks- safety/. Receive HCSO news straight to your phone or email. Subscribe to news alerts at: humboldtsheriff.org/subscribe.
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What ever happened to the guy sell mortars out of a shipping container a few years ago?
Ask the folks in Crescent City last year!
When I was a Volunteer Firefighter a good percentage of the fireworks fires that we went to was from unattended children playing with leftover fireworks.
It is a good idea to make sure that your fireworks are secure at all times… especially after a fireworks show.
Kids will be kids, and parents are a big bad example for them.
As a wee lad, my friends and I thought it would be fun to throw smoke bombs up in the air. One of them landed in dry grass. Ooopsie, a grass/brush fire got started in about a quarter second and burned a 50 foot diameter area in less than a 1 minute. Luckily, that was the extent of it. That was pretty scary how fast that occurred. Could have burned the entire neighborhood down. Please follow the Bears advice.
i hope they got this memo in the neighborhood by Mad River Hospital…it’s like a Disneyland show there!
The same thing applies for many parts of Eureka. We have a lot of bottle rockets going off, but the police have a real hard time catching the person who did it. These jackasses don’t care where their crap comes down. House roofs, dry grass, etc. I think they could ban all the private sales of fireworks and have a fund-raising event for the fireworks by the bay. It does draw large crowds and there is food and other items to buy, a car show drive by, etc. Fun for everyone. Please don’t bring your dog as the fireworks scare them to death and they cause other problems like pooping and peeing and bothering folks.