Illegal fireworks light up night sky, spark fires across Sacramento region

WE BEGIN WITH BREAKING NEWS. THAT BREAKING NEWS RIGHT NOW OUT OF SOUTH SACRAMENTO. THIS IS THE AFTERMATH OF A PRETTY GOOD SIZED GRASS FIRE THAT BROKE OUT AFTER WE CAN ASSUME BECAUSE OF THE NUMBER OF FIREWORKS THAT WERE GOING OFF IN THE AREA, WAS SET OFF BY WHAT WE BELIEVE WAS AN AERIAL FIREWORK. THESE ILLEGAL FIREWORKS THAT WE WERE WE’VE BEEN TOLD NOT TO USE BECAUSE OF THIS VERY REASON. AGAIN, THIS IS HAPPENING JUST NEAR THE DELTA SHORE SHOPPING CENTER AT THE LEVAR BURTON PARK. THIS IS WHAT IT LOOKED LIKE WHEN OUR CAMERAS ROLLED UP THERE. JUST A BIG GRASS FIRE. FIRE CREWS GETTING TO THE SCENE, ASSESSING THE SITUATION, LETTING THE FIRE BURN OUT AT A CERTAIN AREA. AND NOW THEY’RE MOPPING UP. YEAH, THAT THIS THAT VIDEO YOU JUST SAW WAS SHOT ABOUT 20 MINUTES AGO. THESE ARE LIVE PICTURES FROM OUR SACRAMENTO SKY CAM TONIGHT. AND YOU CAN JUST SEE A SERIES OF FIREWORKS GOING OFF IN ALL DIRECTIONS. THIS IS REALLY A KIND OF A WIDE AREA ACROSS SOUTH SACRAMENTO. AND KEEP IN MIND AS YOU’RE LOOKING AT THIS SHOT, JUST FIREWORK AFTER FIREWORK. WE HAVE BEEN SEEING THIS SPECTACULAR SHOW GOING ON FOR A NUMBER OF HOURS. AND IT’S ONE OF THOSE SITUATIONS WHERE ON ONE HAND, YOU KNOW, IT’S IMPRESSIVE. THESE THINGS ARE SOME OF THEM ARE HUGE. THEY LOOK LIKE PROFESSIONAL GRADE FIREWORKS. AND ON THE OTHER HAND, WE KNOW THEY ARE INCREDIBLY DANGEROUS, ESPECIALLY DURING THIS HEAT WAVE. WE CAN GO TO WEST SACRAMENTO. ANOTHER CAMERA SHOT HERE. SAME THING. MORE ILLEGAL FIREWORKS. STILL GOING OFF. THIS IS NOT THE FIREWORK DISPLAY THAT WAS HAPPENING OVER AT THE STADIUM WHERE THE RIVER CATS PLAY. UH, THAT FIREWORKS SHOW WHICH WAS SANCTIONED WAS AT 945. SO THIS IS WAY AFTER THAT. AND YOU CAN SEE THE ILLEGAL LIGHT SHOW CONTINUES FOR A LARGE PARTS OF OUR VIEWING AREA HERE FROM OUR CAMERAS. BUT YOU CAN SEE SOME OF THOSE LOOK LIKE THE EXACT SAME TYPE OF FIREWORKS THAT YOU WOULD SEE DURING THE PROFESSIONAL SHOWS. THEY LAUNCH. YOU KNOW, JUST WAY UP INTO THE AIR. AND OF COURSE, THE 4TH OF JULY IS ALWAYS ONE OF THE BUSIEST NIGHTS FOR FIRE CREWS RESPONDING TO THE FIRES CAUSED BY FIREWORKS. AND IT’S ALREADY BEEN A VERY BUSY NIGHT TONIGHT. YEAH, WE CAN SHOW YOU SOME NEW VIDEO OF A GRASS FIRE THAT BROKE OUT IN ELVERTA. THE CREWS SAY WAS SPARKED BY FIREWORKS THERE IN THE AREA. WE SAW SOME LAYING ON THE GROUND AND THIS ALL STARTED WELL, THERE THEY ARE, RIGHT THERE. THIS STARTED ALONG TAN WOODS ROAD AND YOU CAN SEE THE RESPONSE THERE. AND NOW THE GROUND CREWS ARE WORKING AND THEY SPOTTED FIREWORKS ON THE GROUND AND THEY GOT AROUND THIS FIRE AND WERE PUTTING IT OUT. FIREWORKS ALSO BLAMED FOR STARTING A GRASS FIRE IN RIO LINDA. THIS WAS ON ELECTRIC AVENUE AND DELANO STREET EARLIER TODAY. THIS BURNED RIGHT ALONG A BIKE TRAIL AND A PROPERTY. SAC METRO FIRE TELLS US THE FIRE BURNED A FENCE AND A VEHICLE. THE PROPERTY MANAGER TELLS US SHE CAME RUNNING WHEN SHE SAW THAT FIRE. I DIDN’T SEE HOW OR WHO, BUT SO I JUST RAN IT INSTINCTIVELY AND GRABBED WATER HOSES. BY THEN, THE NEIGHBOR WAS ALREADY HERE FROM ACROSS THE WAY WITH THEIR HOSE ALL RIGHT AND GOING BACK OUT LIVE TO OUR DOWNTOWN SKYCAM. THIS IS LOOKING SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO AGAIN, WHERE WE’VE BEEN WATCHING A LOT OF THIS ILLEGAL FIREWORK ACTIVITY GOING ON TONIGHT. STILL GOING ON FOR HOURS. THESE ARE BIG FIREWORKS. EACH OF THEM REPRESENTING A POTENTIAL DANGER BECAUSE OF THE DRY CONDITIONS WE HAVE WITH SO MUCH DRY FUEL ON THE GROUND. SO THOSE FIREWORKS NOW EVEN HAVING AN IMPACT ON OUR AIR QUALITY. YEAH, WE CAN SEE IT. OUR METEOROLOGISTS HEATHER WALDMAN HAS BEEN TRACKING THESE CHANGES. YOU KNOW, CERTAINLY AS THE FIREWORKS HAVE BEEN GOING ON FOR HOURS. YEAH. IT WAS KIND OF SHOCKING TO SEE AT FIRST. BUT WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT, IT REALLY SHOULDN’T BE JUST GIVEN THE NUMBER OF FIREWORKS THAT WE’VE SEEN AND HOW LONG THEY’VE BEEN GOING ON. SO I’VE GOT OUR MAP HERE, ZOOMED IN ON DOWNTOWN SACRAMENTO. THIS IS THE MIDTOWN GRID RIGHT HERE, TAHOE PARK, CURTIS PARK, RIGHT HERE WHERE YOU SEE THESE ORANGE DOTS. THAT’S REPRESENTING AIR QUALITY. THAT’S IN THE UNHEALTHY RANGE. YOU GO EASTBOUND ALONG 50 OR ON 80, YOU’RE GOING TO RUN INTO SOME OF THAT UNHEALTHY AIR AS WELL, OUT TOWARDS RANCHO CORDOVA. THAT’S NOT TO SAY THAT FOLKS IN THE POCKET ARE IN WEST SACRAMENTO, ARE DONE WITH THEIR FIREWORKS. WHAT’S GOING ON IS WE HAVE A. WESTERLY BREEZE. SO ALL THE SMOKE PARTICLES ARE GETTING PUSHED UP INTO THE FOOTHILLS. THAT’S WHAT’S GOING ON AROUND SACRAMENTO COUNTY. BUT I’LL PULL THE MAP OUT HERE SO YOU CAN SEE THIS IS YUBA CITY. PERHAPS SOME FIREWORKS ACTIVITY GOING ON THERE SOUTHWARD INTO STOCKTON. THAT’S THESE DOTS HERE. THERE MAY HAVE BEEN SOME FIREWORKS THAT WERE NOT ABLE TO SEE FROM OUR CAMERAS THERE. AND I’LL END IN THE SOUTH BAY. SO YOU CAN SEE THERE TOO, THE REDS, EVEN SOME OF THE PURPLE DOTS REPRESENTING THAT UNHEALTHY OR EVEN HAZARDOUS AIR QUALITY. FORTUNATELY, AGAIN, WE DO HAVE AN ONSHORE BREEZE THIS EVENING. IT’S NOT STRONG, BUT IT SHOULD BE ENOUGH TO HOPEFULLY KIND OF DIFFUSE SOME OF THIS AS WE GO THROUGH THE OVERNIGHT HOURS AND HOPEFULLY AIR QUALITY SHOULD BE AT LEAST SOMEWHAT IMPROVED AS WE

Illegal fireworks light up night sky, spark fires across Sacramento region

Updated: 11:23 PM PDT Jul 4, 2024

Each year on the Fourth of July, the sky across parts of Northern California lights up with illegal fireworks displays.Some fireworks were spotted by KCRA 3’s skycam before the sun fully set. On the ground, it was easier to see the dangers illegal fireworks pose during a dry heat wave.KCRA 3 had several news crews and photographers throughout the region, who were able to see a large amount of illegal fireworks being set off.At one point, our photographer near Delta Shores in south Sacramento caught a fire that appeared to be sparked in an area with multiple illegal fireworks being set off.The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District and other departments across Northern California faced a busy night on the Fourth of July.KCRA 3’s Lee Anne Denyer rode along with Sac Metro Fire as firefighters responded to countless calls.A grass fire in Elverta was also confirmed to be set by illegal fireworks. Denyer said remnants of the fireworks were littered across the ground as a field burned nearby.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.

Each year on the Fourth of July, the sky across parts of Northern California lights up with illegal fireworks displays.

Some fireworks were spotted by KCRA 3’s skycam before the sun fully set.

On the ground, it was easier to see the dangers illegal fireworks pose during a dry heat wave.

KCRA 3 had several news crews and photographers throughout the region, who were able to see a large amount of illegal fireworks being set off.

At one point, our photographer near Delta Shores in south Sacramento caught a fire that appeared to be sparked in an area with multiple illegal fireworks being set off.

The Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District and other departments across Northern California faced a busy night on the Fourth of July.

KCRA 3’s Lee Anne Denyer rode along with Sac Metro Fire as firefighters responded to countless calls.

A grass fire in Elverta was also confirmed to be set by illegal fireworks. Denyer said remnants of the fireworks were littered across the ground as a field burned nearby.

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See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app.