Fireworks Issue to Be Put Before Voters in Carson

Voters in Carson will be asked in November whether the city should ban a traditional Fourth of July feature: fireworks.

The advisory question, placed on the Nov. 6 ballot by the City Council this summer, asks whether the sale of so-called safe and sane fireworks should continue.

Safe and sane fireworks refer to those permitted under state law unless cities or counties ban them. They include sparklers, smoke “snakes,” cone-shaped fountains that spout multicolored sparks and “party poppers” which emit paper streamers with a satisfying pop. Nonprofit charitable organizations, which market the fireworks to raise money, are allowed to sell the items from June 28 to July 6.

Proposition F pits the fireworks industry and charity organizations against opponents, especially public safety officials, who are concerned about the potential for fireworks-related fires.

Hawthorne, Inglewood and Lawndale are the other South Bay cities that allow safe and sane fireworks. Most recently, the Lomita City Council prohibited sales and use in 1986 after voters endorsed a similar advisory measure against fireworks.

This past summer, 28 charitable organizations in Carson sold fireworks to raise money for their various programs, netting an average of $4,000 to $5,000 each, according to city officials. Business license and application fees connected with the sales earned the city $4,200.