Quality fearmongering, plus stupid criminals
Full story here.Members of the San Gabriel Valley Arson Explosives Task Force have seized more than half a ton of illegal fireworks from a residential neighborhood in Boyle Heights, averting a potentially explosive and deadly situation, authorities said.
“Given the amount of fireworks in the residence, and the densely populated area ... we could have had a detonation of all that material, and it would have destroyed a good portion of the block, or several houses,” said Alhambra Fire Department Assistant Chief John Kabala.
The investigation originated after arson investigators from the Alhambra Fire Department found dangerous fireworks and unlawful explosives being advertised for sale on Craigslist, Kabala said. The department conducts regular checks of the free classified advertising site, Kabala said.
Now selling fireworks that are illegal in California (a "safe and sane" state) is stupid, and advertising them on craigslist is even stupider. But that doesn't give fire officials permission to lie and exaggerate. Later in the article they compare it to a drug bust, which is accurate in the level of fearmongering and BS... I posted a comment in the article saying that the fireworks were 1.4G consumer fireworks, by definition incapable of mass explosion, but it seems to have been deleted. I'll post it again and see what happens.