As Fourth of July approaches, Sacramento fire authorities crack down on illegal fireworks

With less than two weeks left before Independence Day, Sacramento fire authorities say they are once again cracking down on the use of illegal fireworks.

In Sacramento, any firework that goes up in the air or explodes is considered illegal. Legal fireworks — known in California as “safe and sane” fireworks — may not be used or sold outside the sales window, which begins Tuesday and ends after the holiday.

Despite these ordinances, Sacramento Fire Department spokesman Capt. Keith Wade said at a Wednesday news conference that the Fourth of July remains his fire department’s busiest day of the year.

This year, authorities hope to curb illegal firework use through a slate of enforcement tools including increased fines, host liability and a system that allows Sacramento residents to report illegal firework use to the fire department.

“I wish we didn’t have to resort to neighbors reporting on fellow neighbors,” Tahoe Park Neighborhood Association President Isaac Gonzalez said at the news conference. “I wish we could celebrate like responsible adults and leave it like that. But every year, a minority of bad actors choose these devices that fly in the air, explode, and risk igniting structures and vegetation.”

“If you’re contemplating using illegal fireworks this summer, consider this a fair warning. More residents than ever are prepared to report you,” Gonzalez said.

Sacramento residents can report illegal fireworks using the non-emergency fire number at 916-808-3473, or use a free smartphone reporting app monitored by the Sacramento Fire Department called Nail ’em.

‘We stand committed to responding’

In May, the Sacramento City Council approved a set of more stringent measures intended to stamp out the use of illegal fireworks, which will be in place this summer.

These measures include higher fines for illegal firework use than in previous years — violators of restrictions against illegal fireworks will face fines of $1,000 for their first violation, $2,500 for their second violation, $5,000 for each violation within one year of the first violation and $10,000 for each violation occurring within the American River Parkway.

Homeowners or renters who allow illegal firework activity on their property can also be fined.

Sacramento County has also imposed limitations on hours of use for safe and sane fireworks, restricting them to between noon and 11 p.m. June 28 and between 9 a.m. and 11 p.m. June 29 through July 4.

These restrictions, Wade explained, contribute to fire reduction, reducing some of the strain that the holiday usually creates for the fire department.

“As we’re moving into the Fourth of July, it’s taxing mentally and physically for all of the firefighters who are moving about,” Wade said. “We stand committed to responding to these emergencies and keeping this community safe, but it doesn’t come without a cost and the cost is burdened by the men and women who are going out and dealing with those fires.”