SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) — With the Fourth of July two days away, San Francisco police, sheriff, and fire departments are reminding residents and visitors that all fireworks — including those branded as “Safe and Sane” — are illegal in the city.

Every Independence Day, thousands of Americans are injured by fireworks and end up in hospitals’ emergency rooms. Half of those injuries are children, the San Francisco Police Department said. “Something as simple as a sparkler burns at temperatures of up to 1,800 degrees! That’s hot enough to melt gold,” SFPD wrote.

Fireworks can also spark destructive wildfires, the police department added.

SFPD is asking the public to keep 911 available for police, fire, or medical emergencies. The July 4 holiday is usually a time when emergency responders receive a flood of phone calls.

SFPD explained, “Public safety agencies prioritize all 911 and 311 calls based on the severity of the calls. During the holidays when fireworks are prevalent, the police department receives a high volume of fireworks related calls requiring our dispatch center to triage the calls.
Therefore, the police department may not be able to respond to every firework related
call unless fires or injuries are involved.”

Citizens who see an offender lighting fireworks can call 311 to report it if they have an exact location, police said. To make a fireworks-related noise complaint, citizens can also call 311.

Possession of fireworks such as skyrockets, bottle rockets, roman candles, aerial shells, firecrackers and other types that explode, go into the air, or uncontrollably move on the ground can lead to a citation or an arrest, police advised.

San Francisco’s official Independence Day fireworks show will take place at the Golden Gate Bridge from 9:30 p.m. to 9:45 p.m.

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