Want to report people using illegal fireworks around Sacramento County? Here’s how

Independence Day is here and as Sacramento-area residents ease back into large-scale fun this year with lifted coronavirus restrictions, local officials are on the lookout for dangerous, illegal fireworks.

Illegal fireworks have already made prominent appearances ahead of the Fourth of July holiday throughout California. A man in Los Angeles was arrested Saturday and is accused of storing 16 tons of illegal fireworks at his home. A botched attempt by police to detonate some of the cache of explosives hurt 17 people in the neighborhood.

As of this week, nearly 80,000 pounds of illegal fireworks have been seized by Cal Fire at the Nevada state line, and Sacramento-area officials are wary of potentially fire-starting pyrotechnics amid extreme drought conditions.

The hazards of igniting illegal holiday fare — or even improperly using legal fireworks — include sparking brush fires that can spread quickly in dry vegetation, or causing burns or amputations.

Complaints over fireworks in Sacramento soared last year, with over six times more reports than in 2019, and although it’s hard to say if this year will continue the trend, fireworks have already been sounding off in neighborhoods throughout the region. County officials say that the best way to tell if a firework is illegal is to see if it shoots into the air or explodes.

Elk Grove officials are cracking down on illegal fireworks this year, and police there are prepared to conduct patrols to spot potential offenders. That crackdown will be helped along by a mobile application called “Nail ‘em,” which provides a channel for residents concerned about potentially illegal fireworks to report them to authorities. The city of Sacramento has also recommended the app as a way to report illegal fireworks.

Sacramento County has provided this list of contact information for residents living in various municipalities to use when reporting illegal fireworks:

▪ Unincorporated areas of Sacramento County: Call 916-874-5115 or email reportfireworks@saccounty.net

▪ City of Sacramento: Call 916-808-3473 or use the “Nail ‘em” app

▪ Folsom: Call 916-355-7231

▪ Elk Grove: Email fireworks@elkgrovepd.org or use the “Nail ‘em” app

▪ Rancho Cordova: Call 916-362-5115

▪ Citrus Heights: Call 916-727-5500

▪ Galt: Call 209-366-7000

County officials said that 911 should not be called to report fireworks — it should be reserved for emergencies only. For more information about reporting fireworks, you can call 311.

If you don’t already have plans for the holiday, check out The Sacramento Bee’s Independence Day event guide for recommendations on fireworks shows — the legal ones — concerts, carnivals and more.