Fireworks banned in all Lake Tahoe area counties

SOUTH LAKE TAHOE, Calif. - If you were planning on setting off fireworks around Lake Tahoe this 4th of July, you can forget about it. They are illegal around the lake and in neighboring counties. A mild winter and a large amount of forest fuels put the area at a high risk of fire this summer, and fireworks could be devastating.

Without the official fireworks shows at the north and south ends of the lake, many fear people will resort to the fireworks bought at roadside stands and Indian reservations. While those are legal in the areas they are sold, they are not legal at Lake Tahoe.

In El Dorado County, all fireworks are illegal according to Municipal Code 8.08.050 - Any person who uses, discharges, or possesses any fireworks within the unincorporated territory of the county is guilty of a misdemeanor. It is up to a $1,000 fine.

In the City of South Lake Tahoe, fireworks are in City Code 5.15. The sale or discharge of fireworks, firecrackers, sparklers, salutes, roman candles and other explosive articles of similar nature within the city is prohibited. Violation is a $1,000 administrative fine. If a fire occurs, the person is then also facing civil charges.

The same rules and fines go for Placer, Douglas, Alpine, and Washoe counties.

The South Lake Tahoe Police Department (SLTPD) and Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) will both be patrolling South Shore beaches along with USFS. SLTPD will have squads at the beaches and other high volume areas, as well as extra Community Service Officers on duty to handle an influx of visitors both at the beach and in vacation rentals.

Besides fireworks, BBQs with charcoal are also banned on area beaches.

With the end of fireworks normally the time most left beaches and headed home in the past, this year it is unknown when people will leave the beaches due to the lack of organized shows.

Already law enforcement has been busy getting large supplies off the streets in El Dorado County.

On June 18, Placerville CHP confiscated a car full of fireworks after a high-speed vehicle on US-50 in El Dorado County, and on June 27, South Lake Tahoe CHP made a traffic stop on a domestic violence suspect and found another large cache of fireworks. Both are pictured above.