Ahead of the July Fourth holiday, the Los Angeles Police Department seized thousands of pounds of illegal fireworks Thursday from a shipping container in downtown L.A.
Police responded to a radio call from the fire department just after 11 a.m. in the 700 block of Kohler Street, said Officer William Cooper, an LAPD spokesperson.
Officers arrived to find a 60-foot shipping container filled with approximately 2,000 pounds of illegal fireworks, according to LAPD.
A bomb squad transferred the fireworks to a single box truck and moved them into an approved storage facility, the department said in a tweet.
“The presence of these volatile fireworks in our communities can have devastating consequences, especially when stored improperly,” the tweet continues.
The seizure comes just a day after a major explosion injured 17 people in a South Los Angeles neighborhood, while the LAPD attempted a controlled detonation of illegal fireworks.
The blast shook the neighborhood, overturning a nearby vehicle, shattering glass and damaging homes as it sent a large plume of smoke up in the air. Sky5 was overhead and captured the explosion.
Many Southern California jurisdictions have outlawed all forms of fireworks, including the city of L.A. With hot weather bringing elevated fire danger this July 4th weekend, officials are encouraging the public to partake only in professional fireworks events.
Police urge residents to report such suspicious activity by calling 877-275-5273.
