"Fire prevention and the safety of our residents is very important," said Councilwoman Lee Ann Garcia, a member of the committee. "It will definitely be a major discussion item when we meet again."
Garcia initially opposed allowing fireworks in Grand Terrace. (Added Detail)Untill Tom Schwab / Staff sold the council on the Absolute need to fund Youth Sports by selling Fireworks. Giving a Deaf Ear to Public concern, and suggested alternative funding activities.
But after two years went by in which no injuries or major property damage from fireworks occurred, she changed her mind after youth soccer and baseball organizations convinced her it was important for their funding.
The groups claim they raise about $12,000 a year from fireworks sales, she said.
After Thursday's fire, Garcia is wrestling with the issue again.
"I want to do what is the safest thing for our community and try to assist youth sports," she said. (Now you understand the risk.) (Interesting what it takes to make a point to some people.)
Steve Berry, Grand Terrace's assistant city manager, said he thinks some positive can come out of the incident.
"The mountain won't burn again for a while," Berry said. "And we'll probably have some great wildflowers springing up from it now."
Officials issued eight citations of $1,000 each for illegal-fireworks usage and confiscated more than 100 pounds of illegal fireworks July 1-4, City Manager Tom Schwab said.
Instead, the 11-member committee recommended that the city increase enforcement against illegal fireworks, boost fines for illegal usage and take other steps to reduce fireworks-related problems. … (Added Information Required): What is missing in this bit of information is that the committee also designated hills and grass lands and hill sides as no fire zones… and provided public parks as a safe place to light the fireworks. BUT This was rejected by the City Manager, and he presented the City Council with an amended Ordinance reflecting HIS work not the work of the committee. Council Member Miller and Hilkey did not like the change but went along with the ordinance as it did add enforcement where non existed in past years.
So Mr. Schwab, the Members of the City Council, the Sports Teams and Parents of the Boys are all inpart responsible for this burning and putting at risk the homes and lives of others. How much was spent by the City so the Sports team could earn $12.000.00? That question was asked prior to the approval of this years firework sales, and never answered. Now two young men are criminals, and their parents are liable, as well as the City and Sports Team for providing the means to light the fire. Well, in a Just world they would be.
Rather than seeing that the smaller problems of the past were indications of the larger potential problem lingering a Small Group of People put homes and lives at risk, for a price of $12, 000,00 for Youth Sports, and an unknown cost to the City of Grand Terrace and Colton and San Bernardino County.
Fire sparks second thoughts
City may reconsider allowing fireworks
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
A 425-acre brush fire apparently sparked by two boys playing with a Piccolo Pete has Grand Terrace leaders thinking about banning the use of fireworks.
An 11-member committee formed last year by the City Council to address fireworks-related problems was already scheduled to meet next month to discuss how the city fared during the July 4 holiday.
In the wake of Thursday's blaze, the group also may consider whether fireworks pose a great enough danger that they should be prohibited.
"Fire prevention and the safety of our residents is very important," said Councilwoman Lee Ann Garcia, a member of the committee. "It will definitely be a major discussion item when we meet again."
The blaze, which started on Blue Mountain, was fully contained Friday afternoon, officials said.
No structures or homes were damaged, and no injuries were reported.
Wind and heat helped drive the fire east over the mountain into Colton, threatening about 200 homes in Reche Canyon.
Hundreds of residents who were forced to evacuate returned to their homes Friday, officials said.
"Everything is back to normal in the Reche Canyon area as far as homeowners are concerned," said Ron Avanzolini, fire-prevention specialist for the San Bernardino County Fire Department.
No arrests had been made in connection with the fire.
Officials suspect two boys who were seen running from the area might have started the fire when they shot off a Piccolo Pete.
The boys were described as 5-foot-1, 130-pound teens with short blond hair in a military style. One wore oversized shorts, the other dark blue or black shorts, officials said. Neither was wearing a shirt. Anyone with information on the fire is asked to call county fire investigators at (909) 356-3805. .
Whoever is found responsible for sparking the blaze could be fined or forced to pay the cost to put out the fire, officials said.
Fireworks are legal in Grand Terrace only between June 28 and July 4. Violators could face a fine for shooting them off when they are not allowed.
Grand Terrace is one of only seven cities in San Bernardino County that allows so-called `'safe and sane" fireworks. The other cities are San Bernardino, Rialto, Chino, Colton, Fontana and Adelanto.
Grand Terrace, which began allowing fireworks in 1998, flirted with the idea of outlawing legal fireworks last year but decided against the idea.
Impassioned pleas from youth sports groups that rely on fireworks sales to stay afloat convinced the council not to adopt the ban.
Instead, the 11-member committee recommended that the city increase enforcement against illegal fireworks, boost fines for illegal usage and take other steps to reduce fireworks-related problems.
Officials issued eight citations of $1,000 each for illegal-fireworks usage and confiscated more than 100 pounds of illegal fireworks July 1-4, City Manager Tom Schwab said.
The San Bernardino County sheriff's and fire departments are compiling fireworks statistics for the committee to review at its meeting, Schwab said.
Garcia initially opposed allowing fireworks in Grand Terrace.
But after two years went by in which no injuries or major property damage from fireworks occurred, she changed her mind after youth soccer and baseball organizations convinced her it was important for their funding.
The groups claim they raise about $12,000 a year from fireworks sales, she said.
After Thursday's fire, Garcia is wrestling with the issue again.
"I want to do what is the safest thing for our community and try to assist youth sports," she said.
Fire that threatened houses, mobile homes fully contained
GRAND TERRACE: The blaze chars 425 acres, but no buildings are damaged.
01:07 AM PDT on Saturday, July 8, 2006
By PAUL LAROCCO
The Press-Enterprise
PICO FIRE
Began: 3 p.m. Thursday
Contained: 100 percent by 4 p.m. Friday
Burned: 425 acres
On scene: More than 250 firefighters from 15 agencies
GRAND TERRACE - Firefighters on Friday gained control of the blaze that turned Grand Terrace's "Blue Mountain" black, allowing residents who saw it creep within 100 yards of their homes to exhale.
The Pico Fire, which began Thursday afternoon, was fully contained at 425 acres at 4 p.m. Friday, said Tracey Martinez, a spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Fire Department.
No injuries were reported and no buildings were damaged. But the brush fire forced a three-hour evacuation of roughly 30 homes and a mobile-home park in neighboring Colton on Thursday night.
The blaze may have been sparked by two teens playing with fireworks on the rocky, dry, brush-covered mountainside, said Ron Avanzolini, a San Bernardino County Fire Department spokesman. Investigators were working Friday to identify the teens and determine whether their actions were deliberate.
More than 250 firefighters from 15 departments helped keep the blaze from getting closer than 100 yards from homes and the trailer park on the other side of Blue Mountain. Two helicopters and a tanker plane aided them.
"This being an RV park, with all of that brush this close, we were nervous," said Dan Nelson, whose trailer at the Reche Canyon Mobile Estates is parked in clear view of the flames that spread up the rocky mountainside.
Nelson and his family were told to leave at 6:30 p.m. Thursday, when firefighters were still struggling to contain the blaze. Winds blowing away from the hill helped divert the fire away from homes. Evacuated residents were allowed to return by 9 p.m. Thursday.
"It's the first time we've had to leave," said Andrew Morvai, a 30-year resident of the Reche Canyon Mobile Estates. "So this was kind of interesting."
But Morvai criticized the evacuation process, which consisted of police officers driving through the park telling residents via megaphone to leave. No list of motels or shelters was provided, he said, causing him to scramble to find a place that would accommodate his two dogs.
"It was poor planning," he said.
Others praised the firefighters who kept the blaze from doing any damage. Steve Berry, Grand Terrace's assistant city manager, said he thinks some positive can come out of the incident.
"The mountain won't burn again for a while," Berry said. "And we'll probably have some great wildflowers springing up from it now."
Staff writer Chris Richard contributed to this report.
Reach Paul LaRocco at 909-806-3056 or plarocco@PE.com
Fires Brought Under Control
A 425-acre blaze in San Bernardino County is fully contained, while low winds help Ventura County crews battling in rugged terrain.
By Maeve Reston,
LA Times Staff Writer
July 8, 2006
Firefighters gained the upper hand Friday on stubborn blazes in San Bernardino and Ventura counties that began a day earlier.
A 425-acre fire in the Colton and Grand Terrace areas of San Bernardino County was fully contained by 3:30 p.m., officials said. Investigators were searching for two teenagers they believe had been setting off fireworks Thursday afternoon near the border of San Bernardino and Riverside counties where the fire started.
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Tracey Martinez, spokeswoman for the San Bernardino County Fire Department, said witnesses near the fire's initial location — where Pico Street dead-ends at the base of Blue Mountain — heard the whistle of fireworks and then saw two boys running from the area. Martinez said evidence of fireworks known as Piccolo Petes was found at the scene.
Shortly after 3 p.m. Thursday, the fire spread east along Blue Mountain from Grand Terrace into Colton and the Reche Canyon area, at some points veering into Riverside County.
No injuries were reported. But early Thursday evening, firefighters ordered an evacuation of about 200 homes in the Reche Canyon Mobile Home Estates and along Reche Canyon Road because the fire was less than a mile away and moving quickly in their direction.
After authorities concentrated four air tankers and four water-dropping helicopters in the area, the fire receded and residents were permitted to return about 9 p.m. More than 250 firefighters helped battle the blaze.
Martinez said authorities were looking for two 14- or 15-year-old blond boys, both white, about 5 feet 1 and 130 pounds, who may be twins. Anyone with information is asked to call the San Bernardino County Fire Department at (909) 356-3805.
"It goes to show you how one little spark can light a fire and how quickly the fire can take off and start burning out of control," Martinez said.
