The fair weather of the four-day Fourth of July weekend doubled the number of visitors to Malibu from last year. There were no serious injuries or incidents.
By Melonie Magruder / Special to The Malibu Times
What a difference a dose of sunshine makes. This year’s Fourth of July weekend brought more than 700,000 visitors to Malibu shores, more than doubling the number of revelers from last year’s cool and cloudy holiday. With inland temperatures reaching the triple digits, Angelenos sought the fresh breezes and surf of Malibu to celebrate America’s birthday.
Sunday, July 2, brought cloudless skies and a new swell to coastal waters, delighting surfers and keeping lifeguards on their toes. Zuma Beach Captain Jim “Jake” Jacobson reported 106 rescues alone from the rip currents that day. There were no fatalities out of the 184 total weekend rescue attempts.
“A lot of the problems were due to people drinking and underestimating the power of the surf,” Jacobson said. “We try and prevent a lot of incidents before they happen.”
For those who preferred to enjoy the holiday off the longboard, there was plenty to offer.
Malibu Mayor Ken Kearsley said of his holiday weekend: “It was just beautiful weather. We had family over to dinner, then we all went down to the beach to watch the fireworks.”
When informed of the impressive number of visitors during the four-day weekend and the relatively small number of beach crises, Kearsley said: “We put $350,000 into a special ‘Beach Team’ for the summer and it has paid off. It helps us and [keeps] our people are safe.”
Lt. Debra Glafkides of the Malibu-Lost Hills Sheriff’s Station said there were no serious incidents due to the fallout from fireworks this year.
“Tons of illegal fireworks, of course,” she said, “but we just confiscate them. But all non-permitted fireworks are illegal in incorporated Malibu. You can apply for permits for a fireworks show, but they don’t grant too many.”
A spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Fire Department Fire Prevention Division listed the requirements for a fireworks display permit: a Fire Department battalion chief must review all paperwork, including the application from a licensed pyrotechnic company hired to stage the fireworks; an analysis of the fireworks distance and fallout must be filed; a fire safety officer is assigned for the event and liability coverage for at least
$1 million must be obtained.
Illegal fireworks didn’t present Malibu’s only social ills for the holidays. Glafkides said there were 384 parking violations, 351 citations for imbibing alcohol on the beach, 171 citations for dangerous driving, 80 tows of illegally parked vehicles and five citations for smoking on the beach.
“For the most part, ” she said, “people behaved themselves.”
The Point Dume Community Association hosted its 7th Annual Fourth of July parade on Tuesday July 4.
“This is a great neighborhood event,” board member Elizabeth Anthony said. “The weather was perfect. Our paraders are in cars, on bikes, on horses and on scooters. We had maybe 150 marchers … Come to think of it, we probably had more marchers than spectators.”
The parade ended at the Point Dume Elementary School, where weary marchers could enjoy the welcome relief of old fashioned games such as the Water Balloon Toss and performances by local bands The Bu Notes and the High School Funk Band.
About 600 partygoers enjoyed the private Smashbox party set up on the beach on July 4 in front of four homes near Carbon Canyon Road. Local paparazzi snapped photos of celebs such as Lindsay Lohan and Mischa Barton.
“There was great live music and a deejay and lots of dancing,” said 19-year-old Malibu resident Tiffany Hofstetter.