With the Fourth of July fast approaching, Sheriff D’Agostini wants to remind everyone that fireworks of any kind are illegal in El Dorado County. Any person caught possessing, transporting, purchasing, selling, or even storing fireworks could be cited or arrested and booked into the El Dorado County Jail for violating the misdemeanor county ordinance. Illegal fireworks in El Dorado County even include sparklers or those sold in Sacramento County as “Safe and Sane”. All fireworks will be confiscated as evidence, rendered safe, and properly disposed of.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, thousands of people, most often children and teens, are injured while using consumer fireworks every Fourth of July. Despite the danger, few people understand or respect the associated risks such as devastating burns, severe injuries to eyes, ears and extremities, structure fires, wildland fires and even death. Yet many who use illegal fireworks do so without fear of repercussions or consequences.

Please have a fun and safe holiday weekend in El Dorado County, without the fear of fire or injury! Pyrotechnics can be enjoyed by the whole family at several venues over the weekend to include the El Dorado County Fair Grounds, South Lake Tahoe, and Town Center in El Dorado Hills on July 3rd. The fireworks over Cameron Park Lake were last weekend.

So please make your celebration a safe one without endangering yourselves or your neighbors. With dry conditions due to heat and the drought, safety should be paramount for everyone. There is a lot to celebrate over Independence Day, so have fun and stay safe! If you see others using fireworks, please report it to law enforcement immediately. You may be saving someone’s life, home, neighborhood, or our forest lands.

Lt. Tom Murdoch