Police ramped up patrols and temporarily closed high-traffic areas in Oakland as part of an effort to keep people safe during the July Fourth holiday.
The extra security presence comes as OPD expects large crowds to visit Lake Merritt over the holiday weekend. It's also in response to the mass shooting that took place by the lake on June 19.
OPD hopes the street closures will limit sideshow activity, illegal fireworks and help keep everyone safe.
Hoping to prevent any fires from sparking, major roads in the Oakland Hills, including Grizzly Peak, were closed to traffic.
Select Oakland fire stations also set up barrels where people could drop off fireworks. Wednesday night alone, OPD made at least three drop-offs after confiscating illegal pyrotechnics.
"The embers when a bottle rocket goes up in the air, we've had many, many fires throughout the years, especially on the Fourth of July, that are attributed to fireworks, which is why it's imperative that our citizens stay safe and hopefully do not use them," Oakland Fire Department Battalion Chief Frank Tijiboy said.
Various departments, including public works, fire, police, and parks and recreation, and the city administrator's office were all coordinating and working in real time to respond to any issues.
Roads in the Oakland Hills will reopen Friday at 5 a.m. Road closures around Lake Merritt will depend on crowd size, but are also expected to be lifted by Friday morning.
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