FIRE OFFICIALS WORRY ABOUT FIREWORKS USE PATROLS PLANNED TO HUNT FOR ILLEGAL PYROTECHNICS.

Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer

PALMDALE - Despite high fire danger in neighboring foothills, fireworks sales will go on as usual in Palmdale and Kern County.

But officials are advising people to be especially careful, and warning that people who use illegal fireworks - or who use ``Safe and Sane'' fireworks in communities where they are banned - could be prosecuted.

``It's going to be a tough year,'' said Tony Bell, spokesman for Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, whose district includes rural communities like Leona Valley and Lake Elizabeth that are most risk from brush fires.

``Safe and Sane'' fireworks sales start June 28 in Palmdale and California City, and July 1 in unincorporated Kern County, which includes communities such as Rosamond and Mojave.

Fireworks are illegal everywhere else in the Antelope Valley, as well as in neighboring Santa Clarita.

While Ventura County officials asked the city of Fillmore to halt sales of fireworks this year, no such move has happened in Los Angeles County.

Fillmore is the only Ventura County city that allows fireworks. More than three dozen - including Palmdale - allow them in Los Angeles County. Fillmore will go ahead with sales this year.

``I did have one lady call and ask if we could not sell fireworks,'' Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford said last week. ``I don't really know how you'd go over a vote of the people.''

In April 1992 - after years of complaints from residents of Leona Valley and other neighboring areas, who said their homes were at risk from people buying fireworks in Palmdale - Palmdale citizens voted more than 2-to-1 to defeat a ballot measure that would have banned fireworks.

Fire officials said a ``Safe and Sane'' firework last year started a fire that caused $75,000 damage to a Palmdale house.

``Almost every year, we have fires started not only by illegal fireworks but by 'Safe and Sane,''' said Los Angeles County fire Capt. Joe Silva, who works at Fire Station 24 in west Palmdale.

Even sparklers, which many parents don't hesitate to hand to youngsters, burn at 1,000 degrees, Silva noted.

``We always advise: supervise, supervise, supervise,'' Silva said. ``Don't do it around anything that can catch fire.''

Los Angeles County fire officials said firefighters will be sent out on patrols around their stations as usual, looking for illegal fireworks, and there may be extra patrols in high fire-risk foothill areas.

Firefighters will confiscate illegal fireworks and issue citations to people they catch with large amounts, Los Angeles County Fire Deputy Chief Jesus Burciaga.

``They'll have to report to court for that,'' Burciaga said.

Simple possession of fireworks is an infraction. Using them can either be a misdemeanor or a felony.

Kern County firefighters will take a similar approach.

``We'll probably get the message out early and hit it hard, telling people it is high risk this year because of the dry conditions,'' Kern County fire Capt. Tommy Brown said. ``Sometimes people are really unaware. They just do things as usual.''

Even in normal rainfall years, Southern California brush is highly flammable, Brown noted.

Other western states - as dry as California - have imposed new restrictions on fireworks. Gov. Gray Davis says the decisions are up to California cities and counties, since conditions vary so much around the state.

``The governor is urging caution and diligence regarding the use of fireworks. The problem has been found not to be legal fireworks but illegal fireworks, which have been the culprit in many of the fires started'' by fireworks, spokesman Byron Tucker said.

People should report illegal fireworks use to local law enforcement, Tucker said.

This year's fire danger was realized earlier this month when sparks from a welder's torch ignited a brush fire that raged through San Francisquito Canyon, destroying or damaging nine homes and blackening more than 23,400 acres.

Hundreds of residents evacuated Green Valley, and Lake Hughes, Leona Valley and Lake Elizabeth residents were prepared to flee.

``It could happen again, no question,'' said Los Angeles County fire Battalion Chief Glen Mutch, who works in Santa Clarita. ``It just takes a spark, some wind. ...''