FIREWORKS RAMPAGE WORST IN YEARS PRE-JULY FOURTH EDUCATION FAILS TO EASE PROBLEM.Byline: Charles F. Bostwick Staff Writer PALMDALE - At least 70 people were cited for shooting off illegal fireworks fireworks: see pyrotechnics. fireworks Explosives or combustibles used for display. Of ancient Chinese origin, fireworks evidently developed out of military rockets and explosive missiles and accompanied the spread of military explosives westward to that contributed to an estimated 140 wildfires during the Antelope Valley's most destructive Fourth of July Fourth of July, Independence Day, or July Fourth, U.S. holiday, commemorating the adoption of the Declaration of Independence. Celebration of it began during the American Revolution. in fire officials' memory. One grass fire blamed on fireworks spread into back yards of an older Palmdale neighborhood, where 12 sheds, 14 vehicles and two travel trailers A travel trailer or caravan is a trailer towed behind a road vehicle (or even a horse) to provide a place to sleep which is more comfortable, sheltered and protected than a tent (although there are fold-down tent trailers [1]) . were destroyed. Firefighters saved the homes. Fires of undetermined origin destroyed a parked car in downtown Palmdale and a vacant mobile home. An intoxicated in·tox·i·cate v. in·tox·i·cat·ed, in·tox·i·cat·ing, in·tox·i·cates v.tr. 1. To stupefy or excite by the action of a chemical substance such as alcohol. 2. man with a distress-signal flare gun A flare gun is a gun that shoots flares. They are a common item in rescue kits. Flare guns are sometimes called Very pistols (and misspelt as verey pistol), this term was named after Edward Wilson Very (1847–1910), an American naval officer who developed and started a wildfire south of Quartz Hill, and Lancaster's municipal fireworks show started a grass fire that briefly closed the Antelope Valley Freeway The Antelope Valley Freeway is a freeway in Los Angeles and Kern counties in southern California. It is signed as California State Highway 14 along its length. It connects Greater Los Angeles to the rapidly developing Antelope Valley. . ``I talked to a 30-year-plus battalion chief. ... He said he's never seen it this bad before - ever,'' Los Angeles County Fire Department Not to be confused with Los Angeles Fire Department. The Los Angeles County Fire Department (LACoFD), serves unincorporated parts of Los Angeles County, as well as 58 cities and towns that choose to have the county provide fire and EMS services, including the City of La Inspector Mike McCormick Mike McCormick can refer to different people:
Fire officials said 110 fires were logged Monday night and Tuesday morning in the Antelope Valley This article is about the Los Angeles County region. For the census-designated place in Wyoming, see Antelope Valley-Crestview, Wyoming. The Antelope Valley . They extinguished ex·tin·guish tr.v. ex·tin·guished, ex·tin·guish·ing, ex·tin·guish·es 1. To put out (a fire, for example); quench. 2. To put an end to (hopes, for example); destroy. See Synonyms at abolish. 3. about 30 others before any callers reported those fires. The worst fire started just after 9 p.m. in dry grass near Avenue Q and Fourth Street East in central Palmdale, then spread to the back yards of 15 homes on Avenue P-14, destroying sheds and junk vehicles. ``We saved all 15 homes,'' said fire Capt. Dirk Wegner. He was among firefighters from downtown Palmdale Station 37 who fought fireworks-related blazes all night. Sixty-six adults and two teenagers were cited in Palmdale for using or possessing illegal fireworks brought in from outside California - most of them from Nevada and Mexico. The citations came from 16 sheriff's deputies working overtime and three civilians in a special task force that also confiscated con·fis·cate tr.v. con·fis·cat·ed, con·fis·cat·ing, con·fis·cates 1. To seize (private property) for the public treasury. 2. To seize by or as if by authority. See Synonyms at appropriate. adj. more than 1,000 illegal fireworks. If there had been more people in the task force, many more citations could have been issued, officials said. McCormick was disappointed that an extensive public-education campaign by Palmdale firefighters and sheriff's officials failed to reduce widespread use of skyrockets, aerial mortars and other illegal fireworks. ``We didn't even make a dent. The fireworks were rampant,'' McCormick said. Almost all cited claimed to be surprised that the fireworks they were using were illegal, deputies said. In Lancaster, sheriff's deputies shut down a party of 150 people to 200 people in one block where skyrockets and other illegal fireworks were being set off. ``They had almost professional-grade fireworks going off, with dry fields everywhere,'' Lancaster sheriff's station commander Capt. Carl Deeley, said. ``You'd think, with 150 or 200 people, somebody would say maybe this isn't a good idea.'' Elsewhere in Lancaster, deputies confiscated not only fireworks illegal anywhere in the region, but also ones on the state fire marshal's list of ``safe and sane'' fireworks that can be used in communities that allow them. In the Antelope Valley, only Palmdale and Kern County officials allow their use. Deputies in Lancaster confiscated illegal fireworks and only cited people - at least two - who were uncooperative, Deeley said. Next year, he expects, there will be a zero-tolerance attitude, many citations and arrests of those who resist surrendering fireworks. Fire engines and fire-camp crews had to be brought in from outside the Antelope Valley to help fight the many blazes. Discouraged officials weren't optimistic op·ti·mist n. 1. One who usually expects a favorable outcome. 2. A believer in philosophical optimism. op Tuesday that community residents would put an end to the yearly destruction that mars the local celebration of the nation's birthday. Punishment can be a fine and up to a year in jail. ``Look at all of them shooting fireworks off. There were thousands of them,'' said the disappointed leader of Palmdale's fireworks task force, sheriff's Sgt. Kyle Bistline. Palmdale Mayor Jim Ledford said he still hopes the annual public-education and public-relations campaign Noun 1. public-relations campaign - an advertising campaign intended to improve public relations ad blitz, ad campaign, advertising campaign - an organized program of advertisements against illegal fireworks will eventually pay off. ``I think its a multiyear effort. It takes time to build awareness,'' Ledford said. Ledford also said it might be time for Palmdale to call an election again for citizens to decide whether they continue to support the sale and use of the ``safe and sane'' fireworks - those that don't explode or shoot into the air. But he said illegal fireworks are the greater problem. ``Even if 'safe and sane' fireworks were not allowed, you'd still have a huge problem,'' Ledford said. In 1992 - after years of complaints from residents of Leona Valley and other neighboring neigh·bor n. 1. One who lives near or next to another. 2. A person, place, or thing adjacent to or located near another. 3. A fellow human. 4. Used as a form of familiar address. v. areas, who said their homes were at risk from people buying fireworks in Palmdale - there was a city ballot measure. Palmdale citizens voted more than 2-to-1 to defeat it. CAPTION(S): 4 photos Photo: (1 -- color) Sheriff's Sgt. Kyle Bistline and Palmdale's city public-safety manager, Anne Ambrose, take a look Tuesday at illegal fireworks confiscated over the Fourth of July holiday weekend. (2 -- 3 -- color) A launcher and missiles, left, are among illegal fireworks confiscated, in Palmdale. Above, a resident fights one of many fires started by fireworks. (4 -- color) Firefighters battle a fireworks blaze that spread into back yards in a Palmdale neighborhood, where 12 sheds, 14 vehicles and two travel trailers were destroyed. Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer Paul Weatherman/Special to the Daily News |
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