Exclusive | Californias illegal fireworks trade fueled by nefarious interstate pipeline

California fireworks fans hungry for more high-powered pyrotechnics not sold in the state are heading for the Nevada border to get their illegal Fourth of July fix.The Golden State only sells firecrackers that are certified “safe and sane” and sold by licensed sellers.

But dozens of dealers in Nevada just miles from the California border have become a magnet for buyers looking for a bigger bang.At Cosmic Boom Fireworks in Amargosa Valley, cashier Jovon Oseguera said business has picked up sharply among Californians.

“It’s making [us] busier, people from everywhere just come by in the past week or so with roughly 25 to 30% of customers in a day from California,” he said.Oseguera said Californians are drawn to higher powered aerials “mostly mortar shells and fireworks cakes” they can’t buy in their own state.At a Fourth of July party last year, a man lit an illegal $400 cake containing professional-grade explosives that malfunctioned and killed an 8-year-old girl.“A lot of them ask if they can take the fireworks back across the state line, but I tell them there’s not much [they] could really take back, except… really small stuff,” Oseguera added.

While some Nevada stores require that customers fill out forms for their purchases, his shop only checks that buyers are over 18.A worker at Blackjack Fireworks in Pahrump, Nevada, said that the shop attracts hundreds of buyers from outside Nevada, with a significant number arriving from California during the week of July 4. “If you come to the store, there will be several hundred cars all year round,” said the employee, who declined to provide her name.The staffer said some choose light the fireworks off near Walker Lake on the Nevada side, but the shop doesn’t keep track of where buyers go after their shopping sprees.“I have no business asking where they are coming from or what their final destination will be, as it will be a violation of their rights,” the worker said. According to t...