Possession of fireworks will not be tolerated in San Luis Obispo County this fire season, Cal Fire announced in a statement released Wednesday.
While so called “safe and sane” fireworks are available for sale and use in the cities of Arroyo Grande and Grover Beach, as well as in the San Miguel, Templeton, and Oceano fire districts, possession elsewhere can result in misdemeanor citations and a $2,000 fine.
On the Cal Poly campus, University Police Chief Bill Watton vows to strictly enforce the law.
“Fireworks of any kind are not legal on campus. Not ‘safe and sane’ nor any others,” he said.
Watton would like to avoid a repeat of the June 30, 2007 fire on the “Poly P” hillside that was started by illegal bottle rockets and burned 50 acres.
“That [fire] occurred at six in the morning when the ground was the most moist. So if it can happen then it can happen at any time of the day,” he cautioned.
Public fireworks displays will still provide plenty of excitement this July 4 however, with the cities of Pismo Beach, Morro Bay, Cayucos, Cambria, Santa Maria, and Paso Robles offering free evening shows.