SAN FRANCISCO – Illegal fireworks lit up the skies and caused chaos across the Bay Area during the Fourth of July holiday, leaving behind injuries, property damage, and frustration among residents.
In San Francisco’s Mission District, police declared an unlawful assembly near 26th Street and Treat Avenue after crowds lit fireworks in the streets on the Fourth of July. Video provided by Mission Local showed SFPD heavily-armed officers moving in as fireworks exploded and people scattered.
SFPD said one man was detained in the area and later found carrying a firearm. Officers reported being targeted with bottles and fireworks throughout the night as they worked to disperse groups gathered illegally.
At nearby 22nd and Florida Streets, residents found their windows shattered after fireworks were ignited near homes and businesses.
Damage and cleanup in San Francisco
Alex Pomerantz, owner of Gemini Bottle Co., said the front windows of his shop were broken by the impact. He said he had repainted the building following graffiti damage during last year’s holiday, which cost around $9,000.
“I’m all for people letting loose and having a great time, but I think this just feels so overboard and so egregious and way out of line,” Pomerantz said.
Pomerantz, who has lived in the Mission for 15 years, said he reached out in advance to both the captain at the Mission Police Station and the Department of Emergency Management to raise concerns about the area being a fireworks hotspot.
“I don’t think that SFPD should allow people to set off commercial-grade fireworks in the middle of the street,” he said. “It’s illegal, so they should stop it in advance, rather than just responding after there are hundreds of people gathered and there’s bombs going off in the middle of the street.”
Elsewhere in the Bay Area, first responders were busy throughout the night, particularly in the East Bay.
In Oakland, SkyFOX captured widespread illegal fireworks displays lighting up the sky over Oakland. The Oakland Fire Department reported an uptick in emergency calls, including several fires.
A duplex fire in East Oakland believed to have been started by fireworks sent one person to the hospital and resulted in the deaths of two dogs on the Fourth of July.
In Antioch, a fireworks’ explosion near Spanos Street and Linden Way critically injured one person and hurt at least four others. Fire officials said the victims suffered injuries to their hands, face, and legs.
Despite the damage and injuries, no fatalities were reported.
