Homemade Fireworks Lead To Arrest In Novato: Police

NOVATO, CA — A Novato man faces several criminal charges after police allege he set off fireworks and ignited a small fire over the weekend.

Officers and a fire mitigation ranger were dispatched to a location on Redwood Boulevard near Rowland Boulevard shortly after 12:30 p.m. Saturday to investigate reports of a bush set on fire.

Police said the flames were extinguished before they arrived, and they made contact with a 53-year-old Novato man who was in the area of the fire. According to investigators, officers determined the man had lit a "self-made device" similar to a bottle rocket, which directly caused the fire.

The man, identified by police as Cary Newman, 53, was arrested and booked into the Marin County Jail on suspicion of unlawfully starting a fire, possession of controlled substances, and possession of illegally manufactured fireworks. While personal fireworks are broadly illegal in Marin County in any instance, police noted the increased danger presented by the critical fire weather over the weekend.

"Fortunately, in this situation no structures were damaged and no one was injured as a result of the fire," the department wrote Monday. "This is an important reminder for our community that wildfire danger is extremely high during this year of year, especially during weather conditions like the Red Flag Warning last weekend. Through a collaborative partnership with the Novato Fire Protection District, we are able to quickly involve our Fire Mitigation Ranger in our response efforts, who can help reduce the risk of wildfire within our community."