Just days before the Fourth of July, thousands of pounds of illegal fireworks have been seized at the California-Nevada border, with numerous arrests. Mary Eldridge, with Cal Fire’s Nevada-Yuba-Placer Unit, says the multi-agency operations are conducted most years, when there’s state grant funding available. This one took place, over the last couple of weeks, at the I-80 Ag Inspection Station near Truckee…

Eldridge says 15-thousand-365 pounds, without the Safe and Sane label, were confiscated. 58 citations were issued for misdemeanor possession and transportation. But 31 were arrested on felony charges. There is no mention of intent for sale in the charges…

The Nevada County Sheriff’s Department was among nine agencies participating in the operation. Even Safe and Sane fireworks are banned in most areas of the state, including Nevada County, because of the fire danger.