Fresno County ramps up illegal fireworks enforcement before July Fourth

Two people were arrested Tuesday for allegedly selling illegal fireworks on social media, and investigators confiscated about 1,800 pounds in the case. Police in Kerman seized more than 1,500 pounds valued at about $15,000, Madera officers took more than 200 illegal fireworks, and Clovis police seized about 1,000 pounds in May, valued at about $50,000. Investigators are also using drones to capture footage of illegal fireworks activity so they can follow up later.

Fresno firefighters responded to 190 calls between 6 p.m. and 6 a.m. during last year’s Fourth of July period, and nearly 70 percent of those calls involved illegal fireworks. In Farmersville, an illegal firework sparked a house fire. Many of the illegal fireworks circulating locally come from outside California.

Fresno’s current schedule starts at $2,000 for a first violation, then rises to $3,000 for a second violation within a rolling 12-month period and $5,000 for a third or subsequent violation, with a $250 administrative fee added to each citation. The City of Fresno allows Safe and Sane fireworks to be used year-round between 7 a.m. and 10 p.m., except from June 28 to July 6, when the cutoff moves to midnight. The city also requires a permit to sell Safe and Sane fireworks, and its fire prevention rules cover possession, storage, sale and display of both Safe and Sane and illegal fireworks.

California’s fireworks law dates to 1938, when the Office of the State Fire Marshal became the state’s only fireworks classification authority. Illegal fireworks can cause serious injuries, fires and property damage. Use 311 or the FresGo app, not 911, to report illegal fireworks, keeping emergency lines open for true emergencies.