Big Bear’s Blazing Disgrace: Who Signed Off on The Fireworks Fiasco?

July 7, 2025

By Brian Hews, Publisher, Los Cerritos Community News

While most Americans were looking skyward this weekend, Big Bear’s most famous residents—Jackie and Shadow, a beloved pair of bald eagles—were fleeing their nest in terror. Why? Because someone in Big Bear thought launching a massive fireworks show next to an active raptor habitat was a good idea.

That’s right. In the name of “patriotism,” officials allowed a pyrotechnic assault just hundreds of yards from a protected bald eagle nest—one that was home to newly hatched chicks. And after the booms began, Jackie and Shadow vanished. For days.

Only last night did they finally return.

We don’t yet know the fate of their chicks. We don’t know if the stress, smoke, and chaos took a permanent toll on the nest. But we do know this: these fireworks may have driven off a federally protected species for nearly a week. And all of it was preventable.

Who’s responsible? Try the Big Bear Municipal Water District, which oversees the lake and signs off on events like this. Try the City of Big Bear Lake, which promotes these shows on every billboard and tourism brochure. And where the hell was California Fish and Wildlife?

These fireworks weren’t a surprise. The show was advertised for weeks. Officials knew exactly where the nest was—they’ve bragged about the eagles for years. There are livestreams. T-shirts. Kids write them letters. But when it came time to protect them? Crickets.

Let’s be clear: this wasn’t a minor misjudgment. It was a deliberate, cowardly decision to prioritize tourist dollars over wildlife conservation. And now, because of it, the survival of eagle chicks may hang in the balance.

If you’re angry, you should be. This wasn’t just a fireworks show. It was a reckless, state-sanctioned ecological attack.

Authorities need to:

Launch a full investigation into who approved the event, with names; initiate a permanent ban on fireworks within 1 mile of any known bald eagle nest and issue a public apology—and some damn accountability—from the City of Big Bear Lake and the Water District.

Jackie and Shadow didn’t fly away for fun. They fled for their lives. Their return is a miracle. Don’t let this be a test of how much more they’ll tolerate.

Contact Brian Hews at [email protected] or follow @cerritosnews.bsky.social.