A 37-year-old Concord man must now live a comparatively digit-free life after blowing off several of his fingers while trying to ignite a firework on Monday. The incident happened just before 8pm over on the 2500 block of East Olivera Road. more ›

Instead of a barrage of sunburst-firework videos for your viewing pleasure, this year we bring you Jeremiah Warren's clever ode to Independence Day. Strapping a wide-angle camera to bottle rockets (or something explosive and dangerous like that), Warren captured footage from the illegal fireworks' point of view. It's a bit dizzying but still sorta satisfying. Enjoy. more ›

A 19-year-old Oakland man lost his left hand on July 4 after two M-100s (!) in his pocket exploded. The two machine bottle rockets in his pocket, according to CBS 5, started from nearby sparks. "Josh Meyer suspects sparks from other fireworks being set off at the party on Bartlett Avenue were what ignited the bottle rockets he'd just bought off the street and stuffed in his pocket." more ›

Although the fog was thick last night, the sky still burst with fiery flowers during July 4 fireworks shows above the Bay. Here are a few shots from last night's pyrotechnics. We'll update with more throughout the day. more ›

That 3-day weekend is almost here (or are you off today, too?)! more ›

God, do we miss buying and igniting fireworks. So much third-degree fun, so deeply missed. SF Weekly reminds us that, starting this month until July 4, police are busting folks for firework possession. (For those not in the know, the Mission District, Daly City and other rad neighborhoods glow with colored, flashing, whizzing, exploding fire on Independence Day.) So far, 277 pounds of explosives (including 150 M-80s!) were uncovered in Ingleside. On Monday, coppers found 11 boxes of illegal fireworks on the 5,000 block of Mission Street. And on and on. Stash your sparklers carefully, kids. [SF Weekly] more ›

"KFOG KaBoom 2010 - Lightblades" by exxonvaldez. more ›

Mission Mission posted this video from July 4th around last call at 16th and Albion in the Mission, which shows fireworks being aimed at cars. Rumor has it that cyclists were also targets. Police showed up to the scene but couldn't decipher who the culprits were in the crowd. more ›

Seeing as they are our local FOX affiliate, KTVU already has a TV segment in the works about how fireworks aren't good for anything except misery and conjuring up early childhood trauma. ALSO, today they gleefully bring us this story about the seizure of nearly a ton of illegal fireworks from an Oakland home and truck. "Among the items seized, police said, were bottle rockets, mortar shells and m1000 fireworks." BOO, we say! HISS! The neighbors of the two men arrested similarly came to their defense, saying, "On the Fourth of July, we all have parties. The whole block…They [the men arrested] are not bad people." So whatever KTVU. It's all fun and games until someone we know loses an eye, or conjures an early childhood trauma. more ›

What with Fourth of July just around the corner, police departments all around the Bay Area tend to get flooded with calls mistaking gunfire for fireworks. How can you tell the difference? Well, Precita.org informs us that "gunshots are usually fired in closer succession, often 1-2 shots per second." Also, from our own experience, and what with SFist HQ located near 715 Harrison, gunshots have a more tinny, slap-across-the-face-ish sound to them. Now you know, so listen closely before you frantically dial 911 on Friday night. more ›

While only nine cities in the Bay Area allowed to sell "safe and sane" fireworks (i.e., sparklers, fountains, snakes, and flowers [psst, you can totally turn the latter into a mini bottle rocket by drilling a small hole in the end of the cylinder]), one of those cities, Watsonville, might curb their fiery Fourth of July fun. According to the Merc, a ban on the sale of fireworks in Watsonville might take place since the area has, well, pretty much been on ablaze for the last month or so. more ›

Photo of fireworks for New Year's Eve more ›