Tag: independence day

Downtown Gilroy’s weekly concert series, known as Downtown Live, resumes this week with a July 4 holiday performance by California Standard.  With the stage centered...

Morgan Hill Fire Marshal Dwight Good first became attracted to fire work when he joined the Mariposa County Volunteer Fire Department in 1991. At first it was just a fun hobby, but that hobby eventually turned into a passion for keeping people safe from fire.

South County fire and EMS personnel responded to at least two vegetation fires July 4 that were likely ignited by unauthorized celebratory fireworks, but for the most part the Independence Day holiday didn't see any significant local fire or medical emergencies, according to authorities. CalFire responded to two grass fires near Morgan Hill Thursday night, according to CalFire Battalion Chief Brandon Leitzke. One of the fires was just off the U.S. 101 north of Morgan Hill, near the Coyote Creek Golf Course, Leitzke said. That fire burned less than an acre of grass and vegetation. Crews also responded to a grass fire on Murphy Springs Drive in northwest Morgan Hill, which burned about an acre of vegetation before it was extinguished, Leitzke said. Both fires were caused by residents setting off “illegal fireworks,” but neither blaze resulted in significant damage or any injuries, Leitzke said. The City of Morgan Hill prohibits the display of fireworks, except in public displays that are authorized, permitted, and supervised by the fire chief, according to the City's municipal code. In Gilroy, where quieter so-called “safe and sane” fireworks are permitted for sale and display only during the Independence Day holiday, crews did not respond to any calls related to fireworks, according to Gilroy Fire Division Chief Colin Martin. That's not to say there was any shortage of celebration - “You could hear (fireworks) everywhere,” Martin said, but the revelry incited no unusual need for emergency services. “It was uneventful, which is good,” Martin said.

Don't forget - you can start your Independence Day celebration early with the Freedom Fest Freedom Run early in the morning July 4, just before the downtown parade. 

Before the customary Fourth of July backyard barbecues and fireworks displays, the annual Morgan Hill Independence Day parade kicked off the cascade of local, national and cultural traditions that accompany the holiday Wednesday.

No volunteer search efforts to find missing teen Sierra LaMar are scheduled for Wednesday due to the Independence Day holiday, according to her family.

“Dear Red Phone, You know what really chaps my hide? My neighbors launching fireworks at all hours of the night this Fourth of July (and often the next day, too!) Can you remind people the rules about lighting fireworks at your home and how to dispose of them? I sincerely appreciate it.”

Gilroy residents eager to blow stuff up for a good cause flooded fireworks sales booths on Sunday, the first day of fireworks sales in the city, giving some of the 16 nonprofits licensed to sell fireworks high hopes for exploding profits during their short, four-day sales season.

This year’s Fourth of July fireworks display in Morgan Hill will be bigger and better than previous shows, the parade Wednesday morning will feature everything from musical performances to aircraft flyovers, and veterans and school children promise another rousing performance at the annual “Patriotic Sing.”

It’s that time of year to bust out the barbecues and the bathing suits if you haven’t already, relax with friends and family, and kick back to some fireworks while taking a moment to be thankful for the freedoms you have in America.