The launching of illegal fireworks in the skies over Manteca for the three-day Fourth of July weekend was no worse or better than last year.

The assessment by Fire Chief David Marques came with a surge in calls for emergency services including several dumpster and vegetation fires.

There were no structure fires in Manteca this holiday.

The fire department in a joint effort with Manteca were able to document the actual use of illegal fireworks in 10 instances.

Citations issued will result in property owners from where the illegal fireworks were launched being slapped with $1,000 fines along with $500 in allowable administrative charges. The bottom line is each citation issued will cost the responsible property owners $1,500 apiece.

The city has now issued more than 90 citations for illegal fireworks since the fines attached to the owner of properties went into effect seven years ago.

The city issued 10 citations last year.

And while Marques noted it was no worse than last year, it didn’t impress at least three Manteca residents.

Two sent emails and one dropped a note off to the Bulletin.

The gist of their comments was “so much for cracking down” on people “who use fireworks for their own selfish-entertainment.”

One resident noted “It was just as bad as last year.”

While that seemed to be true based on citations issued and the seemingly non-stop launching of illegal fireworks throughout Manteca, there were no structure fires this year.

As for the intensity, it was marginally better than it was eight years ago before the city switched to the $1,000 citations tethered to property owners.

That was in 2014 when a drive down the 120 Bypass at 9:45 p.m. on the Fourth of July saw the skies lit up to the south and the east with illegal fireworks displays more robust than the city’s legal aerial display that was launched over the Big League Dreams sports complex.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com