Fire officials highly concerned this Fourth of July

PLEASANTON, Calif. (KGO) -- There have been a number of fires and summer hasn't even officially started yet. With the severe drought, fire officials are more worried than ever about fireworks this Fourth of July.

They're planning a much larger Fourth of July fireworks display at the Alameda County Fair this year. It's a record drought season and there's a hayfield between the fairgrounds and Pleasanton resident E.J. Saucier's home.

"You seldom see anything come over in this field here, so I'm not going to lose any sleep over it. Not to say other people shouldn't be concerned," Saucier said.

"If there's high winds, it's up to the fire marshal to let us know to make a recommendation. Either the show could go on, or maybe we should hold off on the show," Angel Moore from the Alameda County Fair said.

But nearby cities like Dublin, Newark and Union City will still be selling "safe and sane" fireworks, and residents are being asked to use extreme caution.

"They need to have that bucket of water to put their spent fireworks in. They need to have that garden hose ready. They need to do it open and away from vegetation, their home, those types of things," Alameda County Fire Marshal Div. Chief Bonnie Terra.

And police have put out a warning in Oakland, which has been ground zero for illegal commercial-grade fireworks on the Fourth of July. The celebration may not change, but the conditions will be a lot worse.