‘We will be out watching’: Las Vegas police confiscate illegal fireworks
It may be a never-ending battle against an entrenched holiday tradition, but Las Vegas police are making efforts to reduce the amount of fireworks in the Las Vegas Valley in advance of the Fourth of July.
Perhaps tens of thousands of valley residents in any given year use illegal fireworks to celebrate the nation’s birthday.
We will be out watching for people who are not following the law. Our officers have confiscated entire truckloads, stacked floor to ceiling, and containers filled with fireworks that won't be set off in neighborhoods this year!
Fines start at $500! pic.twitter.com/gCN4BX88un
— LVMPD (@LVMPD) June 24, 2024
Police posted Monday on X with pictures of a few trailers and trucks filled with fireworks. All of the pyrotechnic devices — illegal in Clark County — were confiscated.
“We will be out watching for people who are not following the law,” one of the Metropolitan Police Department posts stated. “Our officers have confiscated entire truckloads, stacked floor to ceiling, and containers filled with fireworks that won’t be set off in neighborhoods this year!”
A police spokesman declined to provide any details about the confiscations, saying figures would be announced after the holiday. Last year, Las Vegas police confiscated more than 2,500 pounds of illegal fireworks, Clark County said.
However, on a Thursday post on X, Metro said two 30-foot trailers have been filled with confiscated fireworks.
The reminder to all would-be fireworks buyers from police: “Fines start at $500!”
In 2021, Nevada lawmakers approved fines of up to $10,000 for large amounts of illegal fireworks found in the community.
Fireworks of all sorts can be legally purchased in Nye County as well as at the Moapa Paiute Travel Plaza north of Las Vegas. Nearly all of those devices are illegal in Clark County.
Police checkpoints are stopping vehicles suspected of transporting illegal fireworks when they enter Clark County.
Clark County’s ordinance allows “safe and sane” fireworks only in Clark County and local cities.
Those fireworks are allowed between June 28-July 4, when nonprofit groups can sell them for fundraising at licensed and inspected stands.
They include sparklers and fireworks that are kept to a small area on the ground and can’t explode in the air.
Even “safe and sane” fireworks can be dangerous in the dry desert environment and can cause fires and injuries, if not handled with care.
Injuries, fires
At least three people suffered burns linked to July Fourth fireworks, which were blamed for a huge increase in fires last Fourth of July.
A 39-year-old man had severe burns to his face and a child and an elderly man were also scorched by pyrotechnics, according to Clark County Fire Chief John Steinbeck.
More than 100 fires, from trees, brush and trash cans to single family homes, were touched off in the valley last year, Steinbeck said.
Fires increased 1,400 percent from 2022, Steinbeck said.
Reporting suspected violations
Residents are urged not to call 911 to report illegal fireworks. It is important to keep 911 free for life-threatening emergencies. Instead, report location complaints at ISpyFireworks.com. The information will allow officials to collect data about where illegal fireworks are being ignited so we can plan future law enforcement actions.
No fireworks of any kind are allowed at Clark County Wetlands Park and other local parks, or on public lands including Mount Charleston, Lake Mead and Red Rock Canyon.
Contact Marvin Clemons at mclemons@reviewjournal.com.
