San Jose Residents Fed Up With Illegal Fireworks

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People across the Bay Area say they’re sick of hearing illegal fireworks that have been set off on a regular basis, and they are calling for action.

The noise from the fireworks has made a good night’s sleep nearly impossible for people living in the Roosevelt Park and Naglee Park neighborhoods of San Jose. Some say the explosions are so powerful that they rattle windows.

“It keeps me up, it keeps my kids up,” said Becky Piscitelli of San Jose. “My Dog burrows underneath my bed.”

Piscitelli said some of her neighbors have even had to give their frightened dogs tranquilizers to calm them down, but it’s not just pets she’s worried about.

“We have neighbors who are vets and have PTSD, and it can set them off,” she said.

Illegal fireworks have been a problem in San Jose for years, but some residents have said that this year is worse than normal.

“My kids thought it was gunshots from shotguns,” said San Jose resident Puon Penn.

It’s not just a problem in the South Bay, but one echoed from Oakland to San Francisco, posing a risk of fires.

The Santa Clara County Fire Department issued a statement that said fireworks are illegal, dangerous and can result in fires and injuries that are easily preventable.

Santa Clara County’s social host fireworks ordinance holds property owners responsible for illegal use of fireworks on their property.

Neighbors say that they are working together to try to report violators, but it hasn’t been enough to give them a peaceful night.

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