Illegal Fourth of July fireworks turned a stretch of 96th Avenue in East Oakland into a late-night hazard zone last Saturday, igniting a tree and spreading to parked vehicles. At least one SUV was left badly burned, and a nearby family escaped without injuries but with a serious scare, as spent explosives and debris littered the street and drew in firefighters and cleanup crews.
Fire and damage on 96th Avenue
According to KTVU, the trouble started when fireworks set a tree on fire, and the flames quickly jumped to the family’s vehicles, heavily damaging a Chevrolet Tahoe. Firefighters got the blaze under control, but a downed wire and other hazards kept the family from trying to reach the truck right away.
Neighbors and videos show reckless behavior
"We thought we were going to explode and get burned," one resident told KTVU. The station reported that witnesses posted video showing a car doing circles in an intersection while passengers shot fireworks out of the windows. On 13th Avenue, debris and still-active fireworks were left scattered across lanes, detonating in front of oncoming cars and forcing drivers to navigate through live explosives.
City response and safety reminders
Yesterday, city public works crews had already swept up much of the spent fireworks and trash, but firefighters across the region stayed on heightened alert, according to local reports. Bay Area agencies had warned before the holiday about elevated fire danger and even shut down some hillside roads, including parts of Grizzly Peak Boulevard, to reduce wildfire risk, as reported by NBC Bay Area.
Legal and public-safety consequences
Local officials have been trying to get ahead of scenes like this. Alameda County recently tightened rules in unincorporated areas, banning consumer fireworks starting July 2 and making property owners strictly liable for any displays on their land, a crackdown described in Hoodline. Authorities are urging residents to report dangerous or illegal fireworks activity so deputies and fire investigators can respond before sparks turn into full-blown fires.
What neighbors said
Some locals said this year’s holiday felt a bit calmer in parts of the city, but what unfolded on 96th and 13th Avenues was a reminder of how fast celebratory fireworks can flip into a public-safety nightmare. For now, neighbors and city crews are left to tally the damage, sweep up the charred cardboard and spent shells, and hope the next round of celebrations does not end with another block on fire.
