Northern California authorities confiscated about 15,000 pounds of illegal fireworks along with $1 million in cash during an investigation to discover the major distributors of illegal explosives in the state.
American authorities are continuing to recommend to residents to stop using fireworks as the Fourth of July approaches and California experiences a historic drought season, bringing heightened fears of a wildfire outbreak.
Massive Fireworks Bust
Authorities revealed that fireworks were responsible for a small number of minor wildfires, including one in northern Utah where a child was to blame and another in central California.
Two people have become the primary suspects as the primary distributors of illegal fireworks in the region, the San Mateo County Sheriff’s Office said. Authorities also said the base of operations included two residences and a warehouse in Oakland.
Officials said one of the suspects was arrested and already booked into jail last week while the other remains at large.
Last week, investigators handed out search warrants in San Mateo, San Francisco, Alameda and Santa Clara counties in an attempt to locate the suspect.
The massive bust comes several months after two Southern California residents died due to a gigantic fireworks explosion in March, which also caused $3.2 million worth of damage to the surrounding area.
