Crime & Safety

VIDEO: Sheriff's Lt. Blows Up Cantaloupe to Demonstrate Dangers of Fireworks

The Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Department gave a presentation on fireworks' safety on Wednesday afternoon.

There are so-called "safe and sane" fireworks, which are sold legally in Santa Cruz County in Watsonville.

Then, there are the other ones: fireworks that can blow off your hand or your head, with fuses that are too short or explosives too large. They are unregulated, illegal and dangerous.

Santa Cruz County Sheriff's Lt. Bob Pursley demonstrated several varieties of the bad ones at the Sheriff's firing range in Watsonville Wednesday, in an effort to remind people of the dangers.

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Pursley blew up a cantaloupe with an M80, showing what can happen to a head that gets in the way of a bad fuse, and he detonated another illegal firework around a stuffed glove, to show the damage that can be done to a hand.

He held back on blowing up a watermelon with an M100, although the melon had been prepped, because he thought it was too dangerous, even from 25 yards away.

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How do you know the good ones from the bad? Pursley says you look on the package and see the state fire marshall's seal. If it's not there, they aren't safe and sane. He added that other fireworks that aren't safe for home use include rockets, things that fire into the air and anything that shoots projectiles.

There's also a penalty for using, possessing and shooting off unsafe fireworks: Under California Health & Safety Code section 12677, it is unlawful for any person to possess dangerous fireworks without holding a valid permit. Any person who violates this law is guilty of a misdemeanor, and may be punished by a fine ranging from $500 and $1000 and/or imprisonment in the county jail up to a year.  

There are many charges related to the illegal possession and distribution of fireworks. These charges include: illegal advertising of fireworks, conducting an illegal fireworks display, illegal sale of fireworks and illegal storage of fireworks.

The penalties for fireworks-related offenses are generally codified in California Health & Safety Code section 12700. At the low end, the penalties include a misdemeanor conviction, a fine ranging from $500 to $1000 and/or imprisonment in the county jail for up to one year. 

At the high end, the penalties include a felony conviction, fines up to $50,000, and/or imprisonment in state prison for three years. 


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