Jessica Cejnar Andrews / Monday, Aug. 19 @ 3:37 p.m. / Crime, Local Government
Harbor Commissioners To Revisit Discussion on Fireworks Ban
The crime scene from the July 4 firework explosion that sent 14 people to the hospital. | Photo courtesy of the Del Norte County Sheriff's Office
Previously:
• Firework Explosion at South Beach Injures 14; Toddler In Hospital With Life-Threatening Injuries
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Local elected representatives, law enforcement and fire officials are still working out the best way to stem the flow of illegal fireworks into Del Norte County six weeks after an explosion on South Beach sent 14 people to the hospital.
Crescent City Harbor commissioners will discuss how to go about addressing the problem at their meeting Tuesday, though at least one, Board President Harry Adams, says all fireworks should be banned.
Adams said he drove around Crescent City at about 5 a.m. July 5 and what he found disgusted him.
“The smell, garbage everywhere,” he told the Wild Rivers Outpost on Monday. “My boat was covered in ashes. Some boats had bottle rocket remnants on them. These boats are volatile enough as it is and not only that, there’s several spots where the blacktop is melted. I can guarantee you I can still find fireworks garbage to this day, a month later.”
Public outcry following the July 4 fireworks explosion has prompted Crescent City, the Crescent City Harbor District and the Del Norte County Board of Supervisors to take notice.
The Harbor District is considering an ordinance banning all fireworks at the port — something Adams is arguing for.
Meanwhile, he and his colleague Gerhard Weber met with CalFire and Crescent City Fire and Rescue representatives, Crescent City Police Chief Richard Griffin and Del Norte County Sheriff Garrett Scott on Monday.
Crescent City Mayor Blake Inscore and City Councilwoman Kelly Schellong and county supervisors Darrin Short and Valerie Starkey were in on that meeting. Harbormaster Tim Petrick, Assistant Harbormaster Mike Rademaker and Justin Hanks, the Harbor District’s security supervisor, also attended.
According to Adams, in addition to discussing the need for more resources, a media campaign is needed. This campaign can invite people to enjoy Crescent City’s cool climate while urging them to leave their illegal fireworks at home.
“Somebody said a guy brought $60,000 of fireworks [to the coast],” Adams said. “These people have more money than they have brains.”
While Adams is arguing for a ban on all fireworks, Harbor District staff wants more direction before they start working on an ordinance, Rademaker told the Outpost. At the meeting, there was discussion about a unilateral ban versus “something more limited,” Rademaker said.
Meanwhile, Griffin and Scott are working on the law enforcement side — Rademaker said people brought up whether or not the sheriff can seize illegal fireworks. Another segment of the group is working on a public outreach component, either through social media or billboards and signage.
“We’re trying to come up with an ordinance that is consistent across all agencies just to make it easy for everyone to understand and also to enforce,” Rademaker told the Outpost. “It’s in the formative stages, but it will definitely be a different experience next year.”
At the Harbor District’s Aug. 6 meeting, Commissioner Rick Shepherd, a commercial fisherman, said he didn’t care what the city or county did, there shouldn't be any illegal fireworks at the harbor.
“Three boats have found bottle rockets, one of them was in their fish hole, the other one was on top of the cabin, I’ve got pictures of them,” he said. “I’ve been saying it for many years, it’s only a matter of time. They’re painting down there. They’ve got lacquer thinner and one of those bottle rockets land on there and a 60-foot, 50-foot, 30-foot boat goes in flames. It has to be stopped in our harbor parking lot. There should be not be any fireworks any longer in the parking lot of our harbor.”
Petrick, however, said it would make no sense to write an ordinance that contradicts regulations the city or county draft, which is one reason for the delay.
“It will be difficult enough to get the sheriff or police chief to enforce our own ordinance in our harbor district if it doesn’t line up with their laws as well,” he said. “So I want to find out what they’re doing before we write our own.”
At that meeting, Starkey urged Harbor Commissioners to ban all fireworks, including the Safe and Sane ones. Having that ordinance will help mitigate the community-wide response, she said.
Starkey also pointed out that several businesses in the Harbor area shut down on the 4th of July because they didn’t want to deal with the influx of people.
“We can’t do everything, but we certainly can do something,” she said. “If the harbor says because we’re choosing to protect our infrastructure here at the harbor, we’re not going to allow for parking slots to be completely melted out or the boats have the potential to catch on fire, I think a full-on complete ordinance would be a good thing that would protect the harbor.”
On July 11, the Del Norte County Sheriff’s Office arrested two individuals in connection with the explosion at South Beach. Levi Howand-Wayne Mills, 33, and Megan Rae Warner, 32, face charges of illegally possessing explosives, selling dangerous fireworks and willful cruelty to a child.
They’re both due in court on Friday, according to the Del Norte County Superior Court calendar.
The Harbor District Board of Commissioners will meet at 2 p.m. in the Harbor District office at 101 Citizens Dock Road. To participate in the meeting via Zoom and to view the agenda packet, visit www.ccharbor.com.
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