A community tradition of barbeques, parades, and fireworks are a great way to celebrate the summer time, especially our nation’s birthday on the Fourth of July. Fireworks can turn an outstanding celebration into a painful memory when children or adults are injured. Although legal consumer fireworks can be purchased relatively close to the Santa Clarita Valley, all fireworks are hazardous and can cause injury.

Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station would like to remind the residents we serve that all fireworks (including those fireworks classified as “Safe and Sane”) are illegal within the City of Santa Clarita and in county unincorporated areas.

Section 9.60.030 SCMC states the following:

“Except as otherwise provided, it is unlawful for any person to handle, give away, sell, offer for sale, solicit the sale of, manufacture, possess, purchase, use, ignite, explode, fire, or otherwise discharge any fireworks within the City of Santa Clarita or to aid or abet any of the above with respect to fireworks as defined.”

Los Angeles County Fire Code Section 3301.1.3 states that it is ILLEGAL to store, manufacture, sell, use, or handle ALL FORMS of fireworks in any unincorporated area of Los Angeles County. The penalties for possession or use of fireworks can range from a fine of up to $1,000, to confinement in a county jail for up to one year.

As a reminder, many fireworks violations are classified as felonies.

Please keep in mind this is an extremely busy holiday for the County Fire Department and for the Santa Clarita Sheriff’s Station. Based upon the urgency of the call for service, our personnel will prioritize our response as needed.

There are some fantastic opportunities to view fireworks in and around the Santa Clarita Valley. The City Of  Santa Clarita’s Fourth of July Fireworks Show will begin at 9:15 p.m. at the Westfield Valencia Town Center. Spectators can tune their radios to Santa Clarita’s Home Town Radio Station KHTS AM 1220 to enjoy a live broadcast of the show.  There will also be fireworks over Stevenson Ranch. Both are spectacular and absolutely free! For details, please visit their respective websites: www.stevensonranch91381.com and http://santaclaritacitybriefs.com/tag/santa-clarita-fireworks.

The Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station encourages residents to immediately report any suspicious activity to the station at 661-255-1121, or for crimes in progress dial 9-1-1.

From everyone at Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station we wish you a safe and happy Fourth of July.