Police get hundreds of fireworks complaints

By Michelle Knightknight@theacorn.com

Over the extended Fourth of July weekend, Simi Valley police received 463 fireworks-related calls, issued 40 citations and made one arrest, a police official said earlier this week.

Fireworks are banned throughout Ventura County except in the city of Fillmore. Simi Valley levels its fines as high as $800 for setting off what police call “dangerous fireworks.” Those are the type of fireworks, such as bottle rockets, M-80s and cherry bombs, that fly through the air and explode.

According to police Sgt. John Adamczyk, the bomb squad responded to one call over the holiday weekend, which resulted in the arrest of a juvenile.

“Obviously it was a more seri

He had no further details on the arrest.

Simi Valley police also seized illegal pyrotechnics on 50 different occasions over the weekend and responded to calls that ranged from car alarms set off by fireworks to two small backyard fires. In those cases, the residents put out the fires themselves and likely will be issued citations if it’s determined the fires were caused by fireworks, Adamczyk said.

The police department is still compiling the exact number of fireworks-related complaints and violations, he added.

––Michelle Knight