Fireworks Stands Expect to Do Booming Business

Three sandy-haired brothers pressed their faces against the wire-mesh windows of the Fillmore Senior Center fireworks stand, peering at the brightly colored packages inside.

“You guys have been saving all year for this, huh?” asks Annette Cardona as she accepts a $20 bill from the boys’ father. From behind the bright rows of fireworks, Cardona picks out packages of Smoke Bombs and Lightning Flashes and sends the family on its way.

The annual fireworks season opened at noon Saturday in Fillmore, the only city in Ventura County where selling and setting off the Independence Day goodies won’t result in hefty fines.

It’s an annual Fourth of July tradition for the city and has been for about five decades. This year, 25 booths line California 126, staffed by volunteers from local nonprofit groups.

For a week, the wooden shacks are stocked with everything from The Big One, a $199 fireworks package, to the $2.99 Fire Krackle.

“Everyone gets excited when the booths come up,” said Steve McClary, the city’s deputy clerk. “It means the Fourth of July is right around the corner.”

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For Dave Wigen, a 60-year-old Fillmore resident, buying the fireworks is an annual tradition that ends in a block party on the Fourth.

“It kind of gets you going,” Wigen said, clutching a small plastic bag filled with Piccolo Petes and “groundflowers.” “We’ll bring the grandkids out and have them pick out a bunch of stuff.”

The annual event is the largest annual fund-raiser for many of the city’s nonprofit groups.

Fillmore Senior Center organizers plan to spend the proceeds on meal and exercise programs for their clients. The search and rescue team will buy additional equipment. Even the Chamber of Commerce, which takes in most of its income from other sources, uses its proceeds to pay for rent and electricity.

City officials say it wouldn’t be unusual if the groups raised $700,000 this year. But on Saturday, business was not booming.

That will change, though, participants say.

“They may start out slow but when people realize it’s for sale, they come in droves,” said Dianne Chamber, vice president of the Chamber of Commerce. “People will come from all over and swamp you and deluge you to get these things.”

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Volunteers know of people who come from as far as Santa Barbara and Los Angeles to purchase fireworks.

One popular item is The Big One, which neighbors sometimes pool their money to purchase. The box’s assortment includes Lava Cones, Monster Blast and Whistling Pete.

Other popular items: the Small Friendship Fountain, which pours out cascading silver sparkles; the Lightning Flash, which emits strobe-like light; and Piccolo Pete, featuring a loud whistling.

All fireworks are the “safe and sane” brands approved by the state fire marshal.

Because the fireworks cannot legally be set off outside Fillmore, the city will open its four parks and six school grounds all this week for celebrants. Fireworks must be set at least 50 feet away from any building.

“Everybody is welcome to come to Fillmore,” said Fire Chief Pat Askren. “We turn over the football field. But if you bring in illegal fireworks, we confiscate them. We do every year.”