San Mateo Co. Dealing With Increased Illegal Fireworks Complaints

SAN CARLOS, CA — San Mateo County Sheriff’s deputies are warning parents to urge their children about the dangers of fire safety after dealing with a increased number of complaints involving illegal fireworks in the area recently.

Earlier this week, deputies were called to Burton Park in San Carlos, where witnesses told authorities juveniles had started a small fire in the mulch area of the parks due to illegal fireworks, police said this week. Firefighters arrived on scene shortly before 6 p.m. Monday and learned that the small fire had been stomped out by witnesses after the juveniles fled on bikes after starting the fire, police said in a news release.

In addition to the heat advisory that has been in place recently in the Bay Area, the National Weather Service issued a “Red Flag Warning” that ran through Wednesday. The weather service advised residents to use extreme caution during the warning as even a small spark from smoking or the use of equipment or machinery can cause a major fire.

Evidence and video surveillance of the incident this week has been collected for further investigation, police said. Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office Anonymous tip line at 1-800-547-2700.