The City of Sacramento is reminding people who use fireworks on the 4th of July that improperly throwing them away could lead to unintended fires.
Recycling & Solid Waste staff is cautioning against immediately throwing away used fireworks. Instead, keep them in a bucket of water overnight to ensure they are completely extinguished.
People who barbecue this holiday weekend also should be mindful not to throw hot coals in the garbage, said Erin Treadwell, the City’s outreach manager for the Recycling and Solid Waste division.
“We’ve already seen one garbage truck load catch fire this year,” Treadwell said. “Hot barbecue coals are dumped from a garbage container into collection trucks, and after a few blocks they catch the load on fire, causing a dangerous mess.”
Barbecue coals should be fully extinguished and allowed to sit for 24 hours before adding them to your garbage container.
The State of California and the County of Sacramento have issued directives that prohibit the gathering of people from different households/family units until further notice. This includes the July 4 weekend.