INCLUDES VIDEO: Readers Report See/Hearing Illegal Fireworks -- Incl. Large Aerial Rockets -- All Over Town, Worse Than Previous Years
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(July 5, 2015, 7:50 a.m.) -- LBREPORT.com readers report illegal fireworks -- including some very large aerial pyros -- heard/seen all over Long Beach on the evening of July 4 in worse intensity than in previous years. Some readers say they began days ago.
Below are responses we received on LBREPORT.com's Facebook page when we asked on a scale of 1-5 (1 being light, 5 being heavy) what readers were experiencing and whether there were more fireworks than last year. (All fireworks, including "safe and sane" sold in nearby cities and (obviously) all others including aerial rockets and boomers (Cherry bombs, M80s, etc.) are illegal in LB.
Dan Pressburg emailed to say NLB sounded like a "warzone" (most of it some distance from South/Dairy.)
Another NLB reader said "numerous Disneyland-sized fireworks set off. One, launched...like a missile ([up the street] rather than up in the air), almost hit a [parked] truck...I saw the explosion, I saw a cloud of smoke, and I saw sparks linger on the sidewalk next to the truck..."
In ELB / South of Conant, a near-constant distant roar was audible, punctuated by nearby fireworks...including some visible aerial rockets [private use illegal anywhere in CA] which appeared to be shot off roughly in the area between Spring/Willow, west of Bellflower Blvd. perhaps to Clark Ave.]
Below are the responses we received on Facebook; we anonymized them for publication here. We asked in the 9 p.m. Most were received in the 10 p.m. hour, a few in the 11 p.m. hour.
North LB is horrible right now. Has been for days.
5 at Walnut and Hill
Yes in North LB is very very loud!! Please Stop It!!!
Spring and Bellflower and it's a 5
Broadway and Termino, and it's a 5.
Yes a ton over by Community hospital
Ximeno and 10th..5...worse then last year
Woodruff/Wardlow 4-5
South/Atlantic 5
It was a 10 at 2:30 this morning. Not sure where they were, but heard them in Alamitos Heights.
Definitely worse than last year. It was quieter and didn't frighten my cats back then.
If they treated fireworks like they treated the pot shops we'd all be able to sleep tonight!
Worst year ever .
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3rd and Newport very heavy!
In ELB its the heaviest I have ever heard it its a 5
Clark and del amo 5
Spring/bellflower 5.. Much more than last year
Del Amo and Atlantic my dog is not having fun.
Carson and Orange has a lot going off. Worse than the past years. Dogs are not happy
5th and Pacific 5!!
I feel bad for my dog and all the dogs out there.
Downtown is a warzone
In Park Estates, it actually isn't much worse than it has been every night for the past few days. Maybe a 4. My dogs are mostly sleeping through it.
5th and Atlantic: 5+
Worse than I've heard in years.
5 / Eldorado.
One of the reasons we moved out of North Long Beach. Thought I was in a war zone two weeks before and seemed to build up to the 4th and continued like a month after the 4th. It was getting pretty scary!
South of Conant, Bellflower and Conant. Excessively loud. More than previous years.
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Not sure if fireworks or gunshots coming from what sounds like 10th/termino
Bad in central LB and listening to police scanner there just making a list
It's a 5 a at artesia and paramount
Wardlow and Woodruff (ELB) at a 5, way more than previous years.
By LB Memorial and yes it's out of control. Worse than last year too.
Peninsula is worse this year. Car alarms going off.
Daisy and 11 4 houses popping the big ones
I rate a 5+
Anahiem and Magnolia plus DJ playing music since 7pm
Bellflower & Stearns. Worse I've ever heard. 5. Been going on for the past few weeks.
Its like a war zone in dt l.b ... to many illegal (big) bomb style fire works
Del Amo & LB Blvd 5+++
Definitely 5 and then some. Heartwell park area.
4th and Park it's a 5. It sounds like a war zone just outside my complex.
Norwalk & Wardlow. Our tract is not bad - but they are setting off the large pyros in HG just north of us.
The whole Wrigley area. We are at roughly Magnolia and Hill and it has been bad for days. Horrible tonight. Lots of big areal displays. Looks like Willow at around Pacfic. Hard to tell. M80 and even bigger stuff close by. Something had better be in put in place for next year!
PCH and Redondo heavy fireworks canons is going off all night sweet
They don't stop here North lb my poor dogs and my neighbors too!
A *lot* more than last year! 3rd and Redondo.
15th St/Redondo....5++++
Redondo and Anaheim 3.5
DEEEEEZZZ NUUTTTTSSS
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And all around Harvey way , Lakewood , past 2 hours
It's better now was over 5 @ cherry and 7th. [11 p.m. hour]
WAY more this year than any other year I can remember. LBBlvd/San Antonio.
2 all week... Today since 10am 4 spring and magnolia
SERIOUSLY?! Who gives a shit? It's the f'ing fourth if July!
It is illegal [replying to previous response]...May not mean much to some. That appears to be the biggest issue, a complete disregard for the law. NLB was nuts about 2 hours ago several blocks between Atlantic and Long Beach Blvd a, few blocks north and south of 52nd. At least 4 or 5 parties non stop fireworks for quite some time after the 7 to 9 warzone. Stadium quality fireworks...still many going off. Every once in a while M80. My poor dog is so stressed, even with doggie downers for about 4 days in a row. Have seen no police presence except for a helicopter about an hour or so ago for about 30 minutes. Police need drones please!!!!
I'm in Bixby Hill (Palo Verde & Anaheim) and haven't heard anything in the actual community. I do have double pained windows.
Cal Heights, worse than in the last few years, has been like this for days! Near 36th & Olive.
3rd and Temple. I'd give it a 5 and way more than previous years. No worries.
Way more than last year. Near Wardlow and Atlantic (Cal Heights). I'd say a 4.
WAY worse than last year. In NLB near Cherry and South, constant and my house is filled with the smell of explosives. Definitely a 5.
It's terrifying for pets (one of dogs has been shaking and won't come out from under the bed, the other is barking nonstop. And this is with the tv turned up incredibly loud and sedation meds, and a special calming shirt.) and it's also dangerous near wires and especially when houses are so close together. Sparks can cause fires.
Atlantic and 71st been listening to these bombs going off since 7:30 and I am so pissed off. These people are not normal to be blowing this stuff up at this time of night. The worst year ever!!!! Rated a 5+++
11:43 pm and a 4 in Shoreline Village.
Definitely worse than last year sounded like a war zone downtown fourth & Atlantic area.
[Updated noon July 5]
Clark/Carson. Have to agree it was a 5. What surprised me was the constant roar lasting over 2 hours. Maybe more people making up for Vet Stadium. Also heard a lot of gunfire.
Ater reading these comments last night, I listened to the police dispatch scanner. Almost every single call was fireworks or fights. Pretty busy night to say the least.
what were you going to do about it, the city says they are illegal but just like the illegal people who come to usa no one in the us government gives a damn'
It was a five all night, Artesia and falcon north long beach
Cherry and Artesia area. More than last year. This year was crazy. I just don't get it. Something has to be done. I thought for sure I was going to lose my dogs to heart attacks. The m80s have been going off all week long. Setting off car alarms and scaring people out of there skin. A big disregards for laws. Caught under age kids lighting off the m8 0s. Called the police and by the time they arrived the kids were gone. I had proof. I took pictures. Actually got a picture of the kids lighting the m8 0s. There are not enough police officers to handle the 4th of July. There has to be a solution somewhere. The city of Long Beach needs to put into action a group of volunteers in each neighborhood who are trained by the police on how to give out tickets just for the 4th of July. The police cant be everywhere. The neighbors see more the the officers.
Yes more
Atlantic and 91. Sounded like the shooting range!
We had a small Vet Stadium like show right outside our house, Bixby Knolls. My question is: is the economy that good to be blowing so much money?
(Captured at South/Dairy area. It runs 4:30.)
