Bay Area Cracks Down on Illegal Fireworks

The 4th of July is just days away, and Bay Area law enforcement is stepping up enforcement on illegal fireworks.
In San Jose, more than 3,000 pounds of illegal fireworks and homemade explosives have been seized.
Police say a recent raid on June 23rd uncovered IEDs with explosive power far beyond legal limits.
Undercover officers posing as buyers helped intercept 1,300 pounds of fireworks in a storage unit near West Capitol Expressway.
San Jose Fire officials say drones are already being deployed to monitor neighborhoods from above.
The drones will be recording video and responding quickly to illegal launches.
In San Francisco, officers recovered rockets and barrel bombs stashed inside a stolen U-Haul.
Alameda authorities made the county’s largest seizure of the year—over 1,500 fireworks found in storage units.
Some boxes were even labeled “Threat to Society.”
Deputy Chief Mark Shumate from Santa Clara County Fire says today’s fireworks are far more powerful than in decades past.
He warns of both the fire dangers and the serious injuries they can cause.
Officials are urging everyone to leave the fireworks to the professionals and enjoy sanctioned shows across the region.