July 4: Oakland Skies Light Up With Illegal Fireworks Displays
OAKLAND (CBS SF) -- It was the night before the Fourth of July and already the skies above East Oakland were aglow with illegal firework displays.
"The fireworks are too much," East Oakland resident Kirby Thompson told KPIX 5. "It's been going on since May."
East Oakland neighbors said every year, people start shooting them off a few months before July 4th. And they typically stop a week after the holiday.
"All hours of the night," said Thompson, a military veteran. "Anywhere from 2, 3 o'clock in the morning (to) early in the morning. So it's just a lot of boom, bang. They can get really loud. Sometimes, it sounds like military grade."
The fireworks keep him and his dog up at night.
"It's upsetting to (the dog.) It's just too much," complained Thompson.
While some hate the fireworks, others love them. Oakland resident Michael Alexander celebrated the holiday and his son's high school graduation with family and friends at a park Saturday afternoon. They ended the celebration by blasting off fireworks.
"Fun, joy. It's nothing malicious. It's really for the kids," said Alexander. "If you be responsible with what you're doing, you should be okay."
When asked if lighting off fireworks would be selfish and wrong, Alexander said "selfish for fireworks? At 3 in the morning in your neighbor's backyard, yeah. But mid-day, close to the evening, nah."
Many people said due to the drought, the fireworks are even more dangerous this year.
"The police department can't do anything cause they're overwhelmed with other issues, which is understandable. Just kind of have to live with it, unfortunately," said Thompson.
