By admin 
Sacramento will deploy six drones and additional enforcement teams this Fourth of July as officials continue their crackdown on illegal fireworks, city leaders announced Tuesday.
Read more CA wine industry groups at rare standoff over future of ‘American’ wine labeling
“Our message today is simple,” said Capt. Justin Sylvia, a spokesperson for the Sacramento Fire Department. “Celebrate responsibly.”
City Council Members Eric Guerra, Karina Talamantes and Roger Dickinson joined Sacramento Fire Chief Chris Costamagna, firefighters and community advocates at Fire Station 20 in Old North Sacramento to warn residents about the dangers of illegal fireworks and announce expanded enforcement efforts.
The week of the Fourth of July is one of the busiest times of the year for first responders in Sacramento, Sylvia said. In 2025, the Sacramento area dispatch center reported 168 confirmed fires and 112 fire-related calls.
“There are 10 times more fires on the Fourth of July than on any other day,” Talamantes said. Last year, Sacramento County issued more than $3 million in fines for illegal fireworks and deployed two drones to monitor illegal fireworks activity, she said.
“This year, we will have six drones, two per night, for several nights during the week.”
Firefighters displayed legal and illegal fireworks alongside one of the drones that will be used for enforcement.
Expanded enforcement in the city, county
In addition to the drones, a fireworks enforcement task force will patrol the city throughout the week leading up to and including the Fourth of July.
“We will be out in force this year to protect our neighborhoods, to protect all of our communities,” Sylvia said. “No one will get away with it.”
Penalties for illegal fireworks will be more severe this year than in previous years.
In late March, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors approved changes to the county’s fireworks ordinance that increased penalties for violations.
Before the amendment, violators faced fines of $1,000 for a first violation, $2,500 for a second violation, $5,000 for additional violations within one year and $10,000 for violations near schools, parks and the American River Parkway.
Under the new ordinance, which went into effect May 7, fines are assessed for each individual illegal firework instead of each incident.
In Sacramento, fireworks that explode or fly into the air are illegal, City Fire Marshal Jason Lee said. Legal “Safe and Sane” fireworks display the state fire marshal’s seal on their packaging, he said.
Read more Historic Sacramento school to be sold as surplus property. Will it be preserved?
Guerra, who is running for a county supervisor’s seat in November, said he began pushing for tougher illegal fireworks laws three fire chiefs ago.
“At first, people were telling me, ‘Eric, you’re playing with fire.’ You know, because people love using fireworks,” he recalled. Illegal fireworks were causing so much damage that explosions could be heard from April to July, he said.
“We still have a problem, but we have made a significant dent in it,” Guerra said. “We’ve also increased not only going after people using them, but people selling them.”
Sacramento County issued more than twice as many penalties for illegal fireworks in 2025 as in 2024 by working with residents who reported violations and provided evidence, officials said.
“Please download the Sacramento Fire Department app,” Lee said. “You can upload pictures and videos that will help our enforcement teams build evidence against individuals who use illegal fireworks.”
Effects on veterans, pets
Speakers also highlighted how fireworks affect veterans, people with disabilities and pets.
“Think about the veterans that you are impacting. Think about the four-legged friends that you are impacting. Think about the people with special needs that you are impacting. Think about those that have trauma associated with the sound,” Talamantes said.
Dawn Foster, a spokesperson for the Sacramento SPCA, brought Rooster, a herding mix, to the conference.
“Every year, all local animal shelters get flooded with lost and injured pets that are panicked when they hear those loud things,” Foster said. “Even pets that never escaped your yard before are susceptible to reacting to those loud noises.”
She urged pet owners to microchip their animals and keep the information, such as phone numbers and addresses, current. If an animal goes missing, Foster encouraged owners to contact local animal shelters first and be aware of scammers who demand money in exchange for information about lost pets.
“To our pets, fireworks are not a celebration — they are an emergency,” Foster said.
Despite emphasizing holiday safety, speakers also noted the significance of this year’s Independence Day.
“This year is particularly special — the 250th anniversary of the Fourth of July, the Declaration of Independence,” Dickinson acknowledged. “But independence also means responsibility.”
Read more Can I smoke cigarettes with a child in the car? Rules and penalties for drivers