No fireworks allowed

Yumans are used to all fireworks being illegal, but some Imperial County residents are surprised that they will not be allowed any fireworks - not even a sparkler this Fourth of July.

An ordinance was approved June 19 stating that it is illegal to sell, use and possess any type of fireworks in Imperial County, including the cities of Winterhaven, Brawley, El Centro, Imperial, Calexico, Holtville, Heber, Seeley, Ocotillo, Niland, Palo Verde and Salton City. Fines are punishable by fines up to $1,000 and/or six months in jail, according to the clerk of the Board of Supervisors for Imperial County.

The only places where fireworks will be allowed in Imperial County are the Quechan tribal lands, Calipatria and Westmoreland, and only "safe and sane" fireworks, which do not explode or go up in the air, such as volcanoes and sparklers, according to Lt. George Moreno at the Imperial County Sheriff's Office in El Centro. He said the Imperial County Fire Department will enforce the new ordinance.

Alonzo Lopez has been operating a TNT fireworks stand on Picacho Road beside the entrance sign to Paradise Casinos on Quechan land since June 29.

"I didn't know about the new ordinance," Lopez told The Sun. "That explains why my sales aren't the way they used to be."

He said most visitors to his stand are from the reservation, but some ask about Arizona's fireworks laws.

"Now and then we have nonmembers. You tell them you are taking a chance if you do that (buy fireworks). We tell them nothing is legal in Arizona," Lopez said.

Lopez said all of his fireworks are "safe and sane."

Fireworks sold at his stand include flashing wheels, zombies, fire krackles, june bugs, starbursts, devil's delights, dinosaur fountains, laser dragons and the old standby - sparklers.

"Sparklers have temperatures way in excess of 1,000 degrees," said Yuma Fire Department spokesman Mike Erfert. He said any type of fireworks, including "safe and sane" types such as bottle rockets, have the potential to spin out of control.

Erfert said they are capable of causing "severe burns" and with the high temperature and drought, could be a "significant cause

of fires."

He said fireworks make their way into Yuma from Mexico more often than from Winterhaven.

Yuma Police Department spokesman Clint Norred agrees most fireworks come across the Mexican border, but he said some "trickle over here" from tribal lands.

He said Arizona Revised Statutes state that possession of any type of fireworks is illegal in the state, including torpedoes and sparklers, and is a Class 3 misdemeanor, unless it is a public show with proper permits.

Norred said "any small device with a flame" can be dangerous, even with parental supervision.

"There's really no reason to take this risk of injury or arrest when so many places give a permitted public display ... Your kids are gonna get a good show at those," Norred said.

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Nicole Squibbs can be reached at nsquibbs@yumasun.com or 539-6855.