With the nation less than 48 hours away from celebrating its 250th year of independence, Reedley police and fire officials are urging residents to celebrate safely after a weeks-long operation led to the seizure of thousands of pounds of illegal fireworks.
On Thursday, the Reedley Police Department and Reedley Fire Department announced the success of an illegal fireworks suppression operation that resulted in the confiscation of approximately 3,000 pounds of fireworks.
Photos released by authorities show more than 10,000 aerial mortars, explosive materials and homemade pyrotechnics that were seized during the investigation.
Investigators also recovered two handguns and about $4,500 in cash believed to be connected to illegal fireworks sales.
Reedley Fire Chief Michael Canales warned residents against using illegal fireworks.
“If anyone decides to use illegal or dangerous fireworks, just understand that those few seconds of excitement…you know can be a lifetime of regret from injuries or criminal charges,” Canales said.
Canales said he was impressed by the results of the operation.
“It far exceeded my expectations, once the investigations unit on their end had their operational plan, it just hit the ground running,” he said.
He said removing the fireworks from the community will help reduce the risk of fires and injuries during the holiday weekend.
“It was tremendous. I mean, the street value, it’s a rough estimate between 50-60,000 in street value, but it was well over 10,000 mortars that aren’t going to be causing fires, blast injuries or burn injuries in the community,” Canales said.
Authorities said officers will remain on high alert throughout the holiday weekend and reminded residents that setting off illegal fireworks can result in fines or criminal charges.
While many residents are purchasing safe-and-sane fireworks from local booths, Canales also encouraged people to follow all safety instructions and properly dispose of fireworks after use.
He said spent fireworks should be soaked with water or placed in a bucket of water before being thrown away to help prevent trash bin fires.
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