MEDFORD, Ore. — Every year as fireworks light up the sky on Fourth of July, so do the amount of emergency fire-related calls that come in.
On Thursday night, Medford Fire-Rescue will be out patrolling the streets with Medford Police.
They will be looking for any illegal fireworks or fireworks being used where they’re not supposed to be.
The two agencies will be working together as a team to make sure everyone is celebrating independence day safely.
“It’s not that we’re trying to trick or trap people,” said Melissa Cano, Medford Emergency Manager. “The regulations and restrictions are out there. They’ve been out there for over a month. And people should be familiar with where they can and can’t use them.”
This year, the city of Medford has increased the fine for setting off illegal fireworks from $250 to $2500.
As a reminder, anything that explodes, flies in the air, behaves in an uncontrollable or unpredictable way, or travels more than 12 feet horizontally is illegal in Oregon.
In Medford, fireworks are prohibited in wildfire areas, on the Bear Creek Greenway, and within city parks and public schools.
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