PD Endorsement Measure K: It’s time to end fireworks sales in Cloverdale

One by one, cities in Sonoma County have outlawed the sale and possession of fireworks. They are not legal in unincorporated areas of the county either.

The lone exception is Cloverdale, and voters there have an opportunity to make it a clean sweep by passing Measure K on the Nov. 8 ballot.

Fireworks are fun. They’re a tradition. For many among us, they illuminate fond memories of childhood celebrations. For a handful of community organizations, fireworks sales pay for worthy causes.

But in this era of fierce wildfires and punishing droughts, we can no longer afford to play with fire.

So-called “safe and sane” fireworks can be legally sold in California for a few days in late June and early July each year — unless they are banned by local communities, as has happened throughout most of Sonoma County. These smoke bombs and pinwheels are not as dangerous as aerial fireworks, but they are by no means harmless. They emit sparks and can shoot flames in unexpected directions.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, 40% of fires on the Fourth of July are caused by fireworks — more than any other cause. Independence Day fires are ignited by use of illegal fireworks and misuse of legal fireworks.

Despite their PR-friendly name, legal fireworks are not safe. Sparklers, which can reach temperatures of 2,000 degrees, accounted for about 10% of emergency room visits for fireworks-related injuries in 2021, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. Children under 15 are especially vulnerable, comprising about 30% of all fireworks injuries in 2021, the commission reported.

Notably, the number of injuries increased by more than 50% in 2020, when most professional fireworks shows were canceled because of the pandemic, then declined by about a quarter in 2021, when public displays resumed in many communities. Statistics for this year aren’t yet available.

On July 4 this year in Santa Rosa, fireworks set a roof ablaze, started a small fire in Bicentennial Park and scorched a classroom floor at Kawana Elementary School. Just last week, a bottle rocket caused a vegetation fire in a residential and commercial area along Sebastopol Road.

Fireworks have caused more destructive fires over the years in Santa Rosa, Rohnert Park and elsewhere.

Ironically, Cloverdale was one of the first cities in Sonoma County to recognize the danger posed by fireworks. But instead of banning them, the City Council voted in 2009 to tighten the window for sales to just the first four days of July.

Several local cities tried the same strategy, seeking to balance public safety with fundraising opportunities for nonprofit groups. Eventually all of them opted to end fireworks sales altogether. Nonprofit groups have adopted other fundraisers, and professional fireworks displays still light up the sky on the Fourth of July to mark America’s independence.

Firework manufacturers bankrolled unsuccessful referendums in Santa Rosa and Rohnert Park, and the ballot argument against Cloverdale’s Measure K was submitted by a Placer County public relations firm that represents the fireworks industry.

Given the opportunity, voters in Sonoma County have chosen safety over personal fireworks. Now it’s Cloverdale’s turn. The Press Democrat recommends a yes vote on Measure K.

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