MONTEBELLO, Calif.—An investigation was continuing Tuesday into the death of a man who authorities say was killed in an explosion while handling illegal fireworks in Montebello. The blast occurred about 6:30 p.m. Monday in the yard of a home in the 1400 block of Germain Drive, according to the Montebello Police Department. Paramedics responding to…

A Santa Ana, Calif. man is facing a life sentence after an illegal Fourth of July fireworks show in Garden Grove left nine people—including six children—injured. Some of the children were sent to the hospital with severe facial and scalp injuries following the explosion on the 13800 block of Rosita Place. The blast shattered the…

LOS ANGELES, Calif.—Many neighborhoods sounded like war zones July 4 as people set off illegal fireworks to mark Independence Day despite repeated pleas from fire officials around Southern California to attend public pyrotechnic displays. Sheriff’s department dispatchers have fielded “nonstop calls,” said Deputy Tracy Koerner of the Sheriff’s Information Bureau. Deputies on patrol are citing…

Independence Day celebrations are never complete without colorful nighttime explosions, but authorities in Orange County, Calif. say lighting firework is no job for amateurs. The improper use of fireworks could spark blazes as the state enters into fire season, said Orange County Fire Authority Chief Brian Fennessy. “To avoid the risk of fireworks and enjoy…

As the Fourth of July approaches, the Santa Ana Police Department (SAPD) is stepping up its illegal fireworks enforcement. “It’s a problem for us every year … beginning June through the holiday,” Santa Ana police Cpl. Anthony Bertagna told The Epoch Times. “The city sells legal fireworks which you can use; it’s the illegal fireworks that are the problem.” Bertagna said police…