Bakersfield Fire’s arson unit and the Kern County Fire Department are working with the Bakersfield Police Department Vice and the Kern County Sheriff’s Office to crack down on illegal fireworks sales and use through undercover operations that begin on social media marketplaces and extend through the holiday weekend.
Investigators find sellers listing illegal fireworks online, arrange a purchase, and arrest the seller when they show up to complete the transaction.
Bakersfield Fire Battalion Chief Chris Borden, who supervises the arson division, said the operation has already pulled more than 10,000 pounds of illegal fireworks off the streets — and one recent bust alone netted 5,000 pounds from an unexpected location…