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Bakersfield fire official urges residents to choose ‘safe and sane’ fireworks, follow disposal and reporting rules
Summary
On the city’s Something Better podcast, Joe Conroy and AJ Clark of the Bakersfield Fire Department reviewed fireworks safety tips, warned that aerial devices and modified items cause the most injuries, described enforcement actions including a new city citation, and promoted the Riverwalk show as a safer option.
Joe Conroy, the City of Bakersfield public information officer and host of the Something Better podcast, interviewed AJ Clark of the Bakersfield Fire Department on fireworks safety ahead of Independence Day.
"July 4th is by far our busiest day of the year," Clark said, describing the department’s staffing plan for the holiday and urging residents to favor consumer 'safe and sane' fireworks sold at local stands. "The ones that leave the ground ... are the most dangerous," he said, recommending street or driveway use and precautions to avoid life‑altering injuries.
Clark said the department is overstaffing for the holiday, bringing back three engines plus light engines and wildland equipment to handle the expected surge in calls. He also warned that certain modified or illegal devices — discussed on the show as piccolo-style aerials and spinning ground effects — have caused serious hand and eye injuries and are illegal inside city limits.
The episode outlined concrete safety steps: have a hose or bucket of water and a fire extinguisher nearby; keep children at a safe distance and limit how many devices are lit at once; do not relight a dud — leave it alone, later submerge it in water and then discard it with the next day’s trash only once it has cooled. "If it doesn't go off, don't try to relight it," Clark said.
The podcast also cited broader context: national estimates of roughly 10,000 fireworks‑related injuries each year and about nine to 10 deaths annually. Clark said enforcement teams have already confiscated about 7,000 pounds of illegal fireworks this year and cautioned that products brought from outside California may not meet the state’s safety and brush‑fire conditions.
Residents were told not to tie up emergency lines for non‑emergency noise complaints. Instead, the city asked people to report illegal fireworks using the Bakersfield Fire Department online reporting link; arson investigators will prioritize reports on July 3–5. Clark confirmed a new city citation can be issued for illegal fireworks and, if investigators can identify the source, the citation may be mailed to the property owner — he cited a possible fine example of $1,000 in that context.
For those who prefer a public display, the department recommended attending the city’s Riverwalk fireworks show, scheduled this year on July 3, and emphasized water‑safety precautions around pools and rivers. The program closed with a reminder to clear weeds and create defensible space around homes because this summer is dry and stray fireworks landing in dry grass have already started structure‑threatening fires.
The podcast did not report any new legislation or formal city council action; the episode focused on public guidance, departmental staffing and enforcement procedures. For more details and to file non‑emergency reports about illegal fireworks, listeners were directed to the Bakersfield Fire Department website.
