Dozens of different kinds of fireworks line the counters of the Lions Club's booth in Galt.(Dan Evans/News-Sentinel)

Fireworks on sale in Galt; but they are illegal in Lodi

The beginning of July is here again, which means it is time to make Independence Day plans, stock up on barbecue foods and set off fireworks — which happen to be illegal in Lodi.

Fireworks could eventually be banned in more cities, a suggestion Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made last week in light of more than 1,000 lightning-caused fires burning in Northern California.

But for now, fireworks are still legal in Sacramento County, which means people can still drive to Galt for fireworks, then light them in Lodi until police or firefighters confiscate them. Fireworks are illegal in San Joaquin County.

In Galt, where all proceeds from fireworks stands go to charitable groups, the sellers hope the law doesn't change.

"There's nothing wrong with the fireworks. It's the person lighting the fuse," said Mike Alstrum, who was volunteering his time at the Boys and Girls Club stand on Twin Cities Road west of Highway 99.

Firework sales are the group's biggest fund-raiser of the year, and that sentiment was echoed at other stands.

"It's a long, hard week but it's worth it," Reuven Epstein said Monday afternoon as he worked at the Lions Club stand east of Highway 99 across from Raley's.

The club spends about $5,000 to $6,000 a year on eyeglasses for needy people in the community and also provides scholarships to local students, said club member Dick Smith. The club has brainstormed other fundraising ideas, but none have the thousands of dollars in profit that firework sales provide.

Fireworks range in price from less than a dollar for individual sparklers to $500 for a large three-foot-tall box.

Galt residents Al and Jeannette Fingold stopped at the Lions Club stand Monday afternoon, exchanging a few jokes with club members before settling on a $50 box for their daughter and her family. They said they have never had any fires or mishaps with fireworks.

"We play it safe with a bucket of water and hoses nearby — and light them on pavement," Jeannette Fingold said.

The main problem in Galt, said Police Sgt. Chuck Dedricksen, is with illegal fireworks purchased in other states, such as firecrackers and bottle rockets.

As in Galt, Lodi dispatchers get more fireworks calls as July 4 gets closer.

In Lodi, the fire department has more firefighters on duty that day, including an engine that patrols the town looking for any fireworks. Sometimes it only takes an explanation of the rules to stop the fireworks, but firefighters also confiscate a number of them, said Lodi Fire Capt. Pete Iturraran.

Not only do fireworks pose a grass fire hazard, but people also injure themselves when lighting fireworks, he said.

Except for the professional fireworks set off at Lodi Lake through a city permit, all fireworks in Lodi are illegal.

For those who want to set off fireworks across the San Joaquin County line, it's generally safe to do it if you treat them like any other fire, by having water handy and by not lighting them on or near grass and plants.

A customer at the Boys and Girls Club stand declined to give his name but said he has been buying fireworks for 35 years and never had a problem. Like the Fingolds, he has water nearby and lights them in the middle of the road, after he has safely cordoned it off with cones.

It is also pretty safe to use fireworks underwater, the ever-joking Epstein said.

Alstrum compared them to any other possible hazard: "They're safe and sane to use — just like that vehicle," he said, pointing to cars driving by the fireworks stand. "It's safe if the operator drives it safely."

Contact reporter Layla Bohm at layla@lodinews.com.