As many Bay Area residents prepare for July 4th celebrations, South Bay health officials are reminding people of the dangers of illegal fireworks.
Gilroy is the only city in the South Bay that sells legal fireworks. But they come with a list of restrictions on where they can be used and how they can be used, to prevent someone from getting hurt or accidentally starting a fire.
Fourteen fireworks stands opened Monday in Gilroy. They will be on sale through July 4, with proceeds from each stand going to a different school or organization.
“It really helps our nonprofit in what we do here in our community, which is reaching out to broken families, to at-risk youth, to people struggling with addiction,” said Jesse Jimenez, lead pastor of Victory Outreach.
People who wish to purchase fireworks through Victory Outreach will need to own a Gilroy.
The city has published a map showing where they are allowed and not allowed to be set off. None of the fireworks sold at Victory Outreach, which is known for its safety and common sense, are shot into the air.
“A lot of them are fountains, we have Pop-Its for the kids, we also have little sparklers for the kids,” Jimenez said.
Also Monday, doctors at Santa Clara Valley Medical Center in San Jose renewed their annual warning about the dangers of illegal fireworks.
“These are mortars, little pieces of dynamite. They can take your fingers and hands off. We see it every year. Unfortunately, these types of injuries are not repairable in most cases and it’s obviously life-changing,” said Dr. Cliff Sheckter, medical director of the Valley Medical Center Regional Burn Center.
They note that over the past week, nearly 10,000 people across the country have been treated for fireworks-related injuries.
Valley Medical Center is the only trauma and burn center in the San Francisco Bay Area. They typically see one to two burn patients a day. But around the Fourth of July, that number triples.
Doctors said illegal fireworks are not the only danger, adding that people should also be careful with “safe and healthy” fireworks.
“Every year we see parents give their children sparklers. They put them on their clothes and seconds later your child is on fire and fighting for their life. So really take every precaution possible,” Sheckter said.
They point out that there are many professional shows in the area and that the best thing for everyone is to leave the fireworks show to the professionals. The general message is: enjoy the fourth fireworks, but do it responsibly.
