There were no fireworks on Independence Day, said Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti. To hell with it, people said.
Ignoring the mayor’s order and the lack of traditional municipal displays, Los Angeles residents started their own celebration, lighting up the southern California skies with their own fireworks.
Fireworks are illegal in the city of Los Angeles and all fireworks displays were banned in Los Angeles County this year. But the explosions and Roman candles have been extinguished for weeks, culminating in a massive display on Saturday night.
Police claimed that more than 1,000 fireworks complaints reached various branches and attempted to respond. But the task was similar to shoveling the ocean with a spoon, and while not all citizens were happy, particularly those with edgy pets, the city was ablaze with lights and sounds for many hours on Saturday night.
The Los Angeles Fire Department said it responded to more than 100 fires, although it was unclear how many were related to fireworks.
