Fireworks were identified as the possible cause of the Rancho Fire that burned near homes in Laguna Beach on Monday, but that was just one of the fireworks-related fires in recent days.
The Orange County, L.A. County, and L.A. city fire departments all saw huge upticks in fires on the notoriously busy Fourth of July holiday.
“We’re double-digit busier than we typically are handling fire-type calls and injury-type calls related to fireworks than on any other day,” said Brian Humphrey, a spokesperson for the L.A. Fire Department.
Beyond igniting fires, fireworks also account for a big spike in pollution around the Fourth of July. And this year, tragedy struck in Orange County when an 8-year-old girl was killed by an errant firework. Elsewhere, fireworks stockpiles exploded in Pacoima and Simi Valley, killing two people and damaging several homes…