Mark R. Madler
For most city residents, preparing for the Fourth of July weekend
involves getting ready for barbecues, picnics and other outdoor
activities.
But for the Burbank Fire Department, getting ready for the holiday
weekend means coordinating weeks of brush clearing in the hillside
and taking precautions to prevent fires or injuries from errant
fireworks.
"More children are burned with sparklers than any other thing,"
said Burbank Fire Department Capt. Ron Bell. "Bottle rockets landing
in someone's shrubs or wood roofs, those start fires."
As the Fourth of July approaches, the department has focused on
the area of the Starlight Bowl where a fireworks display takes place
on Monday night.
Fire crews have spent the week clearing brush around the Bowl area
to cut down on any vegetation that could burn.
On Sunday, a foam will be spread in that area, said Burbank Fire
Department Capt. Bob Reinhardt, the department's arson investigator.
"Just before the fireworks show, we'll have a water truck up there
and soak everything around the fireworks site," Reinhardt said.
Members of the department's Community Disaster Volunteers will be
perched on the hillside as spotters during the fireworks display, and
will also patrol the city, Reinhardt said.
While there are state-approved fireworks that shoot out sparks but
do not explode or fly in the air, both Burbank and Glendale outlaws
all types.
The Glendale department encourages people to go to professional
displays rather then putting on their own, said department spokesman
Capt. Bill Lynch.
"On the night of the Fourth, we will have fire engines on patrol,"
Lynch said. "Arson investigators will ride along with police patrols
to enforce the fireworks ban."
The Burbank Police Department's main responsibility is to provide
for extra officers for the people and traffic at the Starlight Bowl,
said department spokeswoman Officer Vee Jones.
Patrol officers will also be on the lookout in other areas of the
city for people shooting off fireworks, which are all illegal in the
city, Jones said.
"For the most part, people will prefer to go to the fireworks
show," Jones said. "The hill area will get a little crowded. Even
though some people don't have a ticket if they live there they'll be
out in their yards and invite people over and get a nice fireworks
show free of charge."
