A handful of communities sell so-called "Safe and Sane" fireworks to benefit organizations like Little League, but fireworks that are legal in one city, become illegal to use once you leave city limits.
Some firework customers readily admitted Sunday that they were going to break the rules.
In San Bruno, where it is legal to set off safe and sane fireworks until midnight, stands were open until 9 p.m. Police there set up fully-staffed enforcement teams to patrol neighborhoods and make sure all the fireworks being set off were of the safe and sane variety. Exploding or projectile-like fireworks are not allowed.
Last year, they issued 37 citations but this year, the fireworks stands in Bruno were still a magnet for Fourth of July revelers from all over the Bay Area.
Fireworks bought from the safe and sane stands are required to be set off in a "safe and sane city," but there are not very many of those cities which include Petaluma, San Bruno, Pacifica, Dublin, Union City and Newark.
Fireworks are illegal in all other Bay Area cities.
Police in Menlo Park told ABC7 they were planning to take reports, confiscate fireworks and issue citations if necessary. What is safe and sane in one city could be illegal in another.
