State Requires More Distance Between Fireworks, Crowd
STOCKTON, Calif. -- State regulations and downtown growth are making it unlikely Stockton will be able to continue its annual July 4 pyrotechnic display, city officials said Thursday.
The state now requires more distance between the fireworks and the crowd, but the city is running out of room.
"A couple of years ago we did have some embers that landed on some people. We did have some complaints, and this last year, the same thing started to happen. They actually shut the show down for a period of time," Stockton Fire Chief Ron Hittle said.
As many as 80,000 people have come Weber Point in downtown Stockton for the Independence Day celebration -- an all-day event that concludes with fireworks in the night sky.
The July 4 celebration is the second biggest for Stockton. It is second only to the Asparagus Festival.
City Councilman Clem Lee said the downtown event could still go on, but without the main attraction.
"The Fourth of July Independence Day will be alive and well in Stockton, whether or not we have fireworks," Lee said.
There will still be smaller fireworks shows around July 4, such as the display at the Stockton Ports baseball stadium.
STOCKTON, Calif. -- State regulations and downtown growth are making it unlikely Stockton will be able to continue its annual July 4 pyrotechnic display, city officials said Thursday.
The state now requires more distance between the fireworks and the crowd, but the city is running out of room.
"A couple of years ago we did have some embers that landed on some people. We did have some complaints, and this last year, the same thing started to happen. They actually shut the show down for a period of time," Stockton Fire Chief Ron Hittle said.
As many as 80,000 people have come Weber Point in downtown Stockton for the Independence Day celebration -- an all-day event that concludes with fireworks in the night sky.
The July 4 celebration is the second biggest for Stockton. It is second only to the Asparagus Festival.
City Councilman Clem Lee said the downtown event could still go on, but without the main attraction.
"The Fourth of July Independence Day will be alive and well in Stockton, whether or not we have fireworks," Lee said.
There will still be smaller fireworks shows around July 4, such as the display at the Stockton Ports baseball stadium.