Bad behavior by a few rowdies is seriously endangering fireworks
fun for the entire Gilroy community.
Bad behavior by a few rowdies is seriously endangering fireworks fun for the entire Gilroy community.
Gilroy, the last bastion of safe-and-sane fireworks sales in Santa Clara County, will surely go the way of every other community in Silicon Valley by banning the sale and use of fireworks if this year’s Independence Day shenanigans are repeated next July 4. For the sake of the many community groups who benefit from fireworks sales, if nothing else, we’d hate to see that happen.
Half a dozen vegetation fires and two house fires broke out on the Fourth of July, keeping firefighters scrambling. The community is fortunate that no serious injuries resulted from any of the blazes, all of which firefighters suspect were started by fireworks.
Let’s not have a repeat of this year’s near tragedies.
We urge the City of Gilroy to establish a hotline next July 4 for community members to report illegal fireworks. We’d also like to see a campaign encouraging citizens to use the hotline – to dispel the possible worry that anyone calling in illegal fireworks is a spoilsport.
In reality, the spoilsports are those using illegal fireworks or setting off any fireworks in areas where they are banned. Besides endangering the health and safety of themselves and others, they’re likely to ruin the safe and sane fireworks fun and fundraisers for the rest of the community.
Safe and sane fireworks do not leave the ground or explode. Anyone spotting fireworks that don’t meet that description could immediately call the hotline to report the situation to police and fire officials.
Dry summertime conditions and fireworks are a potentially lethal combination. Illegal fireworks in the hands of inexperienced, untrained users pose a high risk for injury and death.
Let’s be safe and sane ourselves, or we won’t even have those fireworks available in a few years.
