Riverside says no to fireworks

Riverside is urging its residents not use fireworks on or around the upcoming Fourth of July holiday.

Like a lot of Southern California cities, Riverside has banned the use of all personal fireworks at all times, with violators subject to a $1,000 fine, according to a statement on the city’s website.

Instead, when Independence Day arrives next week, Riverside is encouraging its residents to attend free fireworks shows at Mount Rubidoux and La Sierra Park.

For the last three years, Riverside has been working to reduce the use of illegal fireworks in the city, and there is reason to believe those efforts are paying off.

In 2018, law enforcement confiscated 630 pounds of fireworks in the city, down from 805 the year before. It also wrote 70 citations for fireworks, half the amount written a year earlier and received 599 fireworks-related calls between July 1-5. That was down from 651 last year and 799 in 2017, according to the statement.