Long Beach Residents Across City -- Incl. North Long Beach, Bixby Knolls, Wrigley, Downtown, East Long Beach And Beyond -- Report Disruptive Fireworks Illegal Statewide

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Retired 5th dist. Councilman Robbins: "Never Heard Fireworks Noise Like I Did Last Night"

Hear Fireworks Recorded Inside A Residence b/w Atlantic/LB Blvd and b/w South and Del Amo

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(July 5, 2016) -- Voicing frustration and anger on social networks (including #LBCFireworks set up on Facebook by LBREPORT.com, excerpts below), residents in multiple Long Beach neighborhoods reported explosive fireworks (illegal for consumer use statewide) and aerial mortar launched devices sent over rooftops (illegal for routine consumer use statwide). Multiple residents reported frightened pets (despite veterinarian dispensed sedatives).

A resident in the neighborhood between Atlantic Ave. and Long Beach Blvd. and between South St. and Del Amo Blvd. (also known as the "Jane Addams neighborhood") recorded the sounds of fireworks and exploding devices as heard inside her home. To hear it, click here. (The resident says "the bombardment went on from about 7:30 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.")

Retired Fifth District (ELB) Councilman Les Robbins emailed: "In all of the years that I have lived in the 5th District, 64 years in total, I have NEVER HEARD FIREWORKS NOISE LIKE I DID LAST NIGHT [emphasis in original]. This is just plain out of control..."

A number of residents likened conditions to a "warzone."

[Scroll down for further.]

From our monitoring, one could hear a near constant roar in the distance from the area of Bellflower/Wardlow, punctuated by occasional aerial rockets (appeared to come from Heartwell Park to the north). We saw/heard more intense activity in the area of Wardlow Rd./Palo Verde...and areas further east (toward El Dorado Park) had visible aerial bombs.

It was apparently worse elsewhere. Below are some excerpts from #LBCFireworks on Facebook:

It's really, really bad in Wrigley right now. I thought the past week here was intense, but this is borderline surreal.
This is by far the worst...
It's been lit in Wrigley all week
Been constant in Los Altos area as well since sundown. Loudest I've heard in 18 years of living here.
Constant in Hellman district too. It's so bad!!! Like being in a war zone for sure. LBPD please step up next year. It's sad so many people ignoring the law while pets and PTSD vets are suffering.
I'm in Belmont Heights and it's also bad here.
Bluff Heights = Bad. This is ridiculous!!
Willmore = REALLY BAD! Mortars have broken car windows! [LBREPORT.com hasn't confirmed the broken car windows; LBPD info pending.]
Willmore: llegal mortars on 9th/Chestnut, 10th/Chestnut, 10th/Magnolia and 9th/Pacific, 2 car windows blown out. [Unconfirmed] Not a single police officer or patrol car has been in the neighborhood at all today. If you call, the dispatcher just calls back in an hour or two asking if it is still going on. This is pretty consistent with last year and seems to be a problem with the West Division leadership.
It's everywhere - nonstop for hours. So glad I have plans to leave So Cal - overrun with people who couldn't care less about our laws if they tried. And our PD - seriously?! What a joke.
Unbearable in North Long Beach
We have heard glass shattering after several of the louder mortars/m80s.
It's REALLY bad this year!!
It is horrible over here by Palo Verde and Atherton, a lot of M-80's going off!
The Police were directing traffic at Bixby Park and there were Illegal fireworks going on all around them and they did nothing.
[El Dorado Park Estates] It is almost 11 p.m. and there is still the constant blasting of fireworks. Where do people get the money to shoot off so many?
Still going. My dog is so stressed.
Bad in Bellflower too. I don't think any city is safe. My babies had to come inside too.
12:04 a.m. still real bad here on cherry & market st.
The fireworks were still going at 4am this morning around 3rd and Gladys
Long Beach is a joke when it comes to illegal fireworks. Cherry bombs were going off like crazy last night. My cat was scared to death hiding under the bed. It was more like a war zone than anything. The fourth of July used to be a fun holiday but not anymore.
It is is not the "Safe and Sane" fireworks that make the horrible noise that sounds like bombs--those are made by fireworks that illegal in the whole state of CA. I was in Costa Mesa last night where fireworks are legal and there were car alarms being set off constantly by illegal fireworks. Driving home at 10:30, the sky was lit up like Disneyland all the way. I guess we should be grateful all these scofflaw idiots are shooting off fireworks, not guns....
Long Beach is a joke when it comes to illegal fireworks. Cherry bombs were going off like crazy last night. My cat was scared to death hiding under the bed. It was more like a war zone than anything. The fourth of July used to be a fun holiday but not anymore.

And these are just a small percentage of similar comments appearing on other Facebook pages and other social networks.

As LBREPORT.com has separately reported, a 17 year old lost his hand in a fireworks-related injury; LBFD responded to four fires (under investigation) and between July 1 and 4, seized roughly (cumulatively) 500 pounds of fireworks [LBREPORT.com coverage: at this link.]

LBPD was in the process of compiling weekend statistics at late afternoon; we'll add them here as they report them.