Independence Day weekend is upon us, and to celebrate 240 years of 'Merica, a lot of Southern Californians enjoy either shooting off fireworks or watching a fireworks show. There's also a slew of SoCal residents getting out of dodge for a three-day celebration of the original #Brexit — aka when the 13 colonies said "see ya" to King George.
Whether you're lighting fireworks at home, car-tripping to Yosemite or flying to Vegas, here's everything you need to know to stay safe while celebrating liberty.
Fireworks and safety | Communities allowing "safe and sane" fireworks | Fireworks shows | Pet safety | Travel
Fireworks
With thousands of acres of California forest burning in multiple wildfires in the past few weeks, authorities are urging responsible fireworks practices during July Fourth celebrations.
“We ask the public to be diligent and not be careless approaching the Fourth of July weekend, and not using fireworks in areas that are illegal to do so,” Michael McCormick, L.A. County Fire captain, told KPCC amid the San Gabriel Complex Fire.
"Safe and sane" fireworks are the only fireworks legal to use in California, and they are marked by a seal that looks like this:
Chances are, if you don't buy your fireworks at a fireworks stand, they're illegal. The largest stand around opened Tuesday at the Honda Center. To make sure the fireworks you purchase are legal under state law, visit Cal Fire's full list of approved items for 2016.
Tips for properly lighting your safe and sane fireworks
Once you buy your state-approved fireworks and double check that they're legal, it might not be a bad idea to brush up on a few tips for staying safe. The L.A. County Sheriff's Department released some pointers to make sure your fireworks show stays legal and lit:
- Don't mix alcohol and fireworks; save the liquor for after the explosives.
- Wear safety glasses while lighting fireworks.
- Only light one firework at a time.
- Don't re-light "dud" fireworks. Wait 20 minutes, then soak them in water before disposing of them safely.
- Keep a bucket of water close by.
- Don't carry fireworks in your pocket or shoot them into glass or metal containers.
To properly dispose of your fireworks after the show, wet them down and place them in metal trash cans away from buildings or combustible materials.
Communities permitting state-approved fireworks:
| County | City | |
|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles | Alhambra Artesia Azusa Baldwin Park Bell Bell Gardens Bellflower Carson Commerce Compton Cudahy Downey Duarte El Monte Gardena Hawaiian Gardens Hawthorne Huntington Park Industry Inglewood Irwindale La Mirada La Puente Lakewood Lawndale Lynwood Maywood Montebello Monterey Park Norwalk Palmdale Paramount Pico Rivera Rosemead Santa Fe Springs South El Monte South Gate Temple City Vernon |
|
| Orange | Anaheim Buena Park Costa Mesa Fullerton Garden Grove Huntington Beach Santa Ana Stanton Villa Park Westminster |
|
| Riverside | Blythe Cathedral City Coachella Desert Hot Springs Indio |
|
| San Bernardino | Adelanto Barstow Chino Colton Fontana Grand Terrace Rialto San Bernardino |
|
| Ventura | Fillmore |
Source: California Fireworks Newswire
Where to watch professional fireworks shows instead of worrying about lighting your own:
(Click the pins for details)
Source: SafeJuly4th.org, Orange County Fire Authority
Pet Safety
Despite the American flag bandana you tie around your pet's collar, your pooch does not understand why there's one day out of the year humans like to light things on fire and cheer when they explode in the sky. This means that pets often run off at the sound of pops and crackles from fireworks. Long Beach Animal Care Services suggests a few ways to help your pets stay calm during the Independence Day celebrations:
- Keep your pets at home and try to create a peaceful environment for them by closing blinds and playing calm music.
- If your dog is crate-trained, put it in its crate and put a blanket on top to help them feel secure.
- Make sure your pet has its collar on with proper identification in case they do get loose.
- Double check gates and doors to ensure your pet cannot escape.
- Keep pets away from flames, matches and lighter fluid.
- Don't spray pets with insect repellent or sunscreen.
- Avoid feeding your pet scraps from the grill that could upset its stomach.
Travel
Car
AAA estimates that 3 million Southern Californians will travel at least 50 miles from home for the holiday weekend. That's the second biggest Fourth of July travel holiday SoCal's ever seen, Automobile Club of Southern California spokeswoman Marie Montgomery said. The top five destinations for SoCal residents according to the forecast:
- San Diego
- Las Vegas
- San Francisco
- Santa Barbara
- Yosemite
Montgomery attributes the rise in travel to lower gas prices. There are 2.41 million SoCal residents expected to take advantage as they travel by car.
"Airfares have also been positively affected by lower gas prices — they’re about 9 percent lower than they were during last year’s holiday,” Montgomery told KPCC.
Los Angeles International Airport is expecting 9.7 percent more travelers across Independence Day weekend with a record 1.2 million travelers. The airport projects that Friday will be the busiest travel day with 265,000 people moving through.
Current gas prices are lower than they were at this time last year, but Montgomery said they are ticking up toward $3 per gallon.
“Even though gas prices are rising right now, they are still about 60 cents a gallon lower than they were this time last year,” Montgomery said.
Montgomery said that some of the most common reasons for breakdowns in the summer are tire blowouts and dead batteries.
“You really want to get your car checked out or check it out yourself before you take it on a long road trip,” Montgomery said.
If you're leaving before Friday, it's also important to keep in mind that a 31-mile stretch of the I-10 will be reduced to one lane both ways from 6 a.m. to 5 p.m. through Thursday. The lanes will be fully reopened on Friday.
Air
Los Angeles International Airport expects 9.7 percent more travelers across Independence Day weekend with a record 1.2 million travelers. The airport projected that Friday would be the busiest travel day with 265,000 people moving through.
In light of the recent attack at an airport in Istanbul, LAX police are remaining vigilant and bringing in additional resources for the holiday weekend, spokesman Rob Pedregon said.
“There’s been no credible threat to LAX, or to Southern California for that matter, and it’s very safe to fly,” Pedregon told KPCC.
He said travelers can expect to see more officers on foot and bicycle, K-9 forces walking rounds at the airport and increased traffic officers. Some officers will carry rifles — a pretty typical measure, Pedregon said.
"A lot of our officers are rifle-certified, and they have rifles that they carry with them on patrol. You will generally see that anyways, it’s just people seem to focus on it after an event happens,” Pedregon said.
Balancing out the sight of officers with rifles, the airport will also have its comfort dogs out to help calm people’s nerves before flying. Pedregon said to make sure to arrive 30 minutes earlier than you normally would, meaning two-and-a-half hours early for domestic flights and three-and-a-half hours early for international flights.
This story has been updated.
