Report: over 200 citations issued countywide for fireworks violations

RIVERSIDE, Calif. (KESQ) - More than 200 citations were written and over 2,000 pounds of unlicensed pyrotechnics seized during the recent Fourth of July weekend multi-agency fireworks enforcement campaign throughout Riverside County, according to a report the Board of Supervisors will review next week.   

The Executive Office's "After-Action Report," which will be part of the board's consent agenda Tuesday, showed that, compared to the same period last year, there was a 22% jump in the number of citations issued -- 212 this past July 4 weekend, as opposed to 172 in 2025.

Those figures combine the aggregate citations handled by the county Sheriff's, Fire and Code Enforcement departments.  

The number of 911 fireworks-related calls for service and complaints also rose -- 3,776 during the holiday weekend this year, compared to 3,696 last year, according to the narrative.  

Authorities confiscated 2,105 pounds of alleged illegal pyrotechnics during operations earlier this month, a drop from last year, when 2,194 pounds were seized over the same period, the report stated.

County fire personnel were sent to 69 fireworks-related blazes during the most recent holiday weekend, a one-third drop from 2025, when they responded to 102 fires, officials said.

"As a result of a robust public information campaign and enforcement program, the safety of our communities was enhanced with the reduction of fire risks associated with illegal fireworks,'' according to the Executive Office.   

For the last five years, the board has implemented a "You Light It, We'll Write It'' countywide messaging campaign, utilizing digital and traditional media sources to make the public aware of the potential perils and consequences of igniting unlicensed pyrotechnics.

In April 2021, the county Office of County Counsel, in collaboration with the Sheriff's Department and Cal Fire, drafted amendments to Ordinance No. 858 that augmented civil penalties for possession,transportation or ignition of illegal fireworks, ranging between $1,000 and $5,000. The amount depends on the number of violations within a 36-month period. The previous fines were
between $500 and $1,000.

The revisions also created liabilities for property owners who knowingly permit someone to light unlicensed pyrotechnics.   

The final provision of the revised ordinance granted the fire chief authority to designate specific locations in unincorporated areas where so-called "safe and sane'' fireworks can be sold and ignited by residents. In Blythe, Coachella, Desert Hot Springs and Indio, the devices -- such as sparklers, fountains and snappers -- are permitted.