4th of July fireworks could be blown out in Oceanside, California

This year could spell the end of a long tradition: Fourth of July fireworks in Oceanside. Public safety is the concern.

The 30-minute extravaganza can be seen up and down the North County coast. Shot from a barge off the municipal pier, the fireworks draw massive nighttime crowds, adding to the thousands of daytime beach-goers who remain after sunset.

Kim Heim, executive director of MainStreet Oceanside, the nonprofit that has put on the show for several years, said yesterday the fireworks tradition may be a century old. He said he has paintings from the 1920's of pyrotechnics being shot off the municipal pier.

"It's the most deeply embedded historical tradition," he said.

Two other events are traditionally held on the Fourth of July at the pier – a carnival and street fair called OFest and the Samoan Cultural Event, put on by several community groups.

Police say the 211,000 people who attended last year – more than Oceanside's population of 185,000 – which taxed the city's ability to handle public safety. Even providing enough trash cans and bathrooms was a severe problem.

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