buyback. Fireworks stands will begin to open Wednesday in a handful of Bay Area towns that are still allowing the tamest but still dangerous fireworks available. Tom Vacar joins us now live from Foster City where all fireworks are off limits. Tom Yeah, but if I went over to San Bruno or to Pacifica where it's perfectly legal to buy them and then I brought them here to this park in Foster City, same county, set them off. That's a crime. And an expensive one. The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office. First time ever. No questions asked. Fireworks buyback. That program netted 400 pounds of fireworks. Those who turn the fireworks in were paid based on the weight of the fireworks, up to $75 in cash. Los Angeles did a similar buyback last Saturday, retrieving 500 pounds of fireworks. The sheriff's department says many of the items turned in are illegal and potentially deadly. Pirates techniques such as Maddie's aerial rockets, mortar style fireworks and military grade smoke grenades. It's impossible to predict where those land they might land on a neighbor's roof. They might land in some dry brush, which can easily cause a fire, especially now. Don't let the term safe and sane fool you, because what's true in San Mateo County is pretty much true in all of them. There are only a couple of cities that offer the safe and sane type of fireworks , and those are restricted to certain areas within those cities. Even here in Pacific, there are only two places where these safe and sane fireworks can be used, either at South Rockaway Beach or Pacifica Beach. And only in the designated areas. Otherwise, they're just as illegal as illegal ones. Safe and sane fireworks are not allowed throughout the majority of the county, and those still pose a serious fire risk and even bodily harm. Though 4 or 500 pounds may not seem like much given the tons of illegal fireworks that will be set off in the next few days. This is 4 to 500 pounds of a lesser chance for fire or injury. Fines are still $1,000. Generally speaking , for illegal fireworks, they are up to $2,000 in certain situations and there is a new fine now, $500 for anyone that's caught spectating. That's right, $500 for spectators. Now, that citation could be issued to any deliberate spectator within 200ft of the illegal fireworks discharge. Now, why do some cities still allow these sales for many very worthy nonprofit organizations, this is their biggest primary fundraiser for the entire year, and they keep doing it. But I don't know how much longer it's going to last.
