There’s an old saying, “It’s not the Fourth of July in Riverside until Mt. Rubidoux catches fire.”
The source of the ignition, as just about always, is the city-sponsored fireworks display.
For those keeping track in 2024, the iconic hill was indeed set ablaze on Thursday — four times.
But the Riverside Fire Department, knows the local lore only too well.
It was prepared, Division Chief Tony Perna said on Friday, July 5.
The department positioned 4,000 gallons of water and 3,000 feet of fire hoses on the hill just in case — and they were needed.
The four fires were quickly extinguished.
The Fire Department was busier than on most days: Firefighters responded to 184 incidents, mostly brush and structure fires, between 7 a.m. and 2 a.m., and dispatchers took 1,508 calls in that period.
But perhaps the city’s decision to increase the fines for fireworks violations to $1,500 from $1,000 worked.
“It was very busy,” Perna said, “but quieter than many years past.”
The city task force of firefighters, police officers and code-enforcement officers wrote 22 fireworks citations — and seized 800 pounds of illegal fireworks and 25 pounds of homemade explosive devices such as M-80s on July 4, police spokesman Ryan Railsback said Friday.
Last year, the city wrote 24 citations.
