Angela Nguyen

Downtown and Central Bakersfield Neighborhood Reporter

BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KERO) — Bakersfield's police and fire chiefs presented their Fourth of July reports during a Friday meeting, revealing both progress and ongoing concerns about fireworks-related incidents in the city.

Kevin Albertson, Chief of the Bakersfield Fire Department, said the holiday brought serious consequences for people across the state.

"This last Fourth of July, up and down the states, people were significantly injured, even killed from fireworks."

A total of 106 citations were issued by the Bakersfield Police and Fire departments combined in relation to the holiday. Compared to 2025, fire-related responses to both departments dropped 6% in 2026.

Despite the decrease, residents and officials say more work remains. Bakersfield City Councilman Eric Arias said stronger policies are in the works.

"We are getting serious about the policies that we can change. We're looking at a couple different code changes that we can implement over the next couple months that are going to make a difference and hopefully deter folks from using those illegal fireworks."

Both departments and Arias agreed that stronger measures must be created to decrease fireworks-related accidents and fires.

This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.

Stay in Touch with Us Anytime, Anywhere:

• Download Our Free App for Apple and Android
• Sign Up for Our Daily E-mail Newsletter
• Like Us on Facebook
• Follow Us on Instagram
• Subscribe to Us on YouTube