Since the start of Memorial Day weekend, authorities in Long Beach have received 1,760 complaints about fireworks, a 34% decline from last year.
The bulk of complaints were made on Thursday, July 4, as residents celebrated Independence Day at the beach, backyard barbecues and 80 sanctioned block parties across the city. A total of 675 fireworks complaints were made on Thursday alone.
Last year the city received 2,657 total complaints, a small increase from the previous year. Complaints spiked dramatically in 2020 — the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic — to 8,882 complaints.
Between June 10 and July 4, police seized 450 pieces of fireworks, made seven felony arrests — an increase over last year, when there were two — and eight misdemeanor arrests.
From Monday, July 1, through Thursday, the Long Beach Fire Department responded to a total of five fireworks-related incidents. No properties were impacted and no injuries were reported, the city said.
On July 4, LBFD saw a 17% increase in total calls for service and a 125% increase in outdoor fire related calls compared to the average number of calls received on other days of the year.
Long Beach lifeguards responded to emergencies and made 203 swim rescues and three boat rescues from beaches and waterways on July 4 alone, a more than 205% increase in water rescues typically performed on a Thursday during the summertime.
The city in 2021 passed an ordinance to increase penalties for fireworks activity after so many complaints the prior year. Violations to the city’s ban on fireworks can cost $20,000 in response costs, plus fines.