Rancho Cordova increasing enforcement of illegal fireworks ahead of Fourth of July
Rancho Cordova officials said they are stepping up enforcement of illegal fireworks ahead of the Fourth of July and encouraging residents to celebrate the holiday safely.
The sale and use of “Safe and Sane” fireworks are limited to June 28 through July 4, officials said at a Thursday press conference. Fireworks are only allowed between the hours of 9 a.m. and 10 p.m. on those days.
Any fireworks violation in the city, including using fireworks that explode or leave the ground, is subject to a $1,000 fine per violation or up to six months in jail. A violation on school grounds is subject to a $10,000 fine or up to six months in jail.
Each illegal firework launched is considered a separate violation under a new ordinance passed by the Rancho Cordova City Council in March.
That means someone who launches 50 illegal fireworks into the sky could face $50,000 in fines, said Russell Ducharme, director of the city’s Neighborhood Services Department. Previously, fines for illegal fireworks started at $1,000 per incident, not per illegal firework.
According to Ducharme, 47 people were fined for illegal fireworks in Rancho Cordova last year, before the City Council approved the higher fines. That compares with 38 people in 2024 and 49 in 2023, Ducharme said.
Rancho Cordova Police Chief Shaun Hampton said the department is increasing enforcement before the holiday, including doubling the number of drones available for enforcement and responding to reports of illegal fireworks.
Residents can report illegal fireworks through Rancho Cordova Connect, either online or via the app. Residents can also call the Rancho Cordova Police Department’s non-emergency line at 916-362-5115, according to the department.
Fireworks are not allowed at any other time of year, including during holidays such as New Year’s Eve, even if they are “Safe and Sane.” Ducharme said groups hosting events can apply for temporary fireworks permits through the city and the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District.
City spokesperson Maria Kniestedt encouraged residents who want to watch fireworks show to attend Rancho Cordova’s two-day Fourth of July celebration at Hagan Community Park, 2197 Chase Drive.
Diana Freeman, deputy fire marshal for the Sacramento Metropolitan Fire District, said “Safe and Sane” fireworks are ones purchased at approved local booths with the seal of the California State Fire Marshal. The only fireworks sold at these booths are non-aerial fireworks, which qualify as “Safe and Sane.”
Freeman urged residents using “Safe and Sane” fireworks to place them on flat ground, well away from homes and dry vegetation. To dispose of fireworks, she recommended placing them in a metal or other noncombustible bucket of water on the curb overnight, away from homes.
Aerial fireworks are illegal for a reason, Freeman said, because they are extremely dangerous and pose a significant fire risk to the community.
“If you launch something into the air, and it explodes a couple (of) hundred feet in the air, those embers have the potential to travel a long way,” Freeman said, “and then fall into adjacent fields, roofs, gutters, and then possibly burn fields, or even worse, someone’s house.”
