Illegal fireworks in Orange County seized

ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. - Fireworks.They’re powerful. They can hurt you. And, authorities are looking for them. 

In Santa Ana authorities have been on the lookout for the illegal variety. Authorities say many are made in China and illegal here.

Authorities in the OC say they’ve collected what amounts to 10 to 12,000 pounds of fireworks with a street value of over a million dollars.

OC Bomb Squad Sergeant Timm Putszai says deputies have been working around the clock on this. In talking with Putszai we mentioned that a lot of people are saying things like “'Where are the police?’ ‘Where’s the fire department?’ 'What are they doing?” 

Putszai says of the crackdown, "This is exactly what we’re doing trying to get these things off the streets.”

In Santa Ana they know things are only going to get worse as we approach the holiday weekend. Over just three days this week undercover officers made buys worth as much as $250,000. Corporal Anthony Bertagna says as of Friday the amount seized totaled some 4000 pounds of illegal fireworks.

Given the cancellation of many public fireworks displays this year and how people are ignoring the laws about illegal fireworks police agencies like Bertagna’s are bracing for July 4th weekend. He says a police department tactical alert will be called for the holiday weekend in Santa Ana. He says it'll be all hands on deck and adds, “4th of July weekend we’re going to have between 150 and 200 officers just to concentrate on the fireworks complaints and we won’t be able to get through the all."