Every Independence Day, cities throughout Orange County and Southern California grapple with how to best curb illegal fireworks use on the nation’s birthday.
Police departments say it’s often difficult to enforce existing laws unless they see someone light the illegal fireworks in front of them.
But this year, a handful of Orange County cities are already taking different approaches through what’s known as a social host ordinance – when a property owner can be fined for having illegal fireworks being used on their property.
Buena Park may soon increase fines for illegal fireworks, while Stanton and Anaheim are moving to fine for property owners in an effort to curb illegal use.
Across OC, firework-related injuries continue to pose a public safety concern.
Last year, firework-related injuries rose 43%, according to the 2024 Independence Day After Action Report prepared by the Orange County Fire Authority.
To combat dangerous fireworks, many cities in OC have completely banned all fireworks, including Irvine, Laguna Beach and Newport Beach.
Anaheim, Buena Park and Stanton all currently allow the sale of safe and sane fireworks under specific conditions and timeframes.
The sale of those fireworks typically help fund things like high school sports and various nonprofit organizations.
Heftier Fireworks Fines in Buena Park
Fines for both setting off illegal fireworks and social hosts will likely increase in Buena Park, with the city council unanimously voting to impose higher fines at the April 22 meeting.
In Buena Park, the sale of safe and sane fireworks is only allowed during the week before the Fourth of July and on the holiday.
Previously, there was a flat $1,000 fine for possession or use of illegal fireworks. That could now increase to $2,000 for a second violation and $3,000 for any additional offenses.
Social host fines would increase from $1,000 to $2,000 for a first violation, $4,000 for a second violation and $6,000 for any that follow.
The City Council unanimously supported increasing fines, with Councilwoman Susan Sonne suggesting the city consider a complete fireworks ban.
“The safe and sane are actually a good way for people to hide the fact that they are using the projectile and dangerous fireworks,” Sonne said at the March 25 meeting.
Sonne said she received calls during the Fourth of July from residents raising concerns of property damage and injury.
Buena Park Police Chief Frank Nunes said the city typically receives between 250 and 447 complaints about illegal fireworks during the holiday.
Nunes added that there is a real fireworks problem in Buena Park, and the solution is to ban all fireworks.
“If we want to be serious about fireworks, all of them have to be illegal,” Nunes said at the March 25 meeting. “If you look at our neighboring cities who do not have a fireworks problem, they have stiff fines and do not allow fireworks.”
Sonne said fireworks are a controversial issue, with passionate people on both sides, and urged the city to bring the matter to a vote once and for all.
“We should at least have a discussion around putting the question of eliminating all fireworks on the ballot in 2026 and at least let the citizens of Buena Park weigh in,” Sonne said.
Nunes said increasing fines makes a difference, and citations have decreased.
“Two years ago, when we moved the fine up to $1,000, we issued 51; last year, 32,” Nunes said.
Sonne said that while a full fireworks ban remains uncertain, increasing fines will still create a financial disincentive.
“I’m looking to bring some relief to the people in the community who experience a great amount of distress every time there is a holiday that results in a great number of these illegal fireworks being set off in the city.”
Stanton and Anaheim align with Buena Park
Anaheim and Stanton city council members are also moving to hold property owners accountable for the sale, possession and use of illegal fireworks.
Anaheim had a fireworks ban in place for nearly three decades before it was repealed by Measure E in the 2014 special election.
Currently, in Anaheim, fines for possession and use of fireworks are $1,000 for the first offense, $2,000 for the second and $3,000 for any additional citations.
Current law requires officials to catch and prove who was in possession of, selling or setting off illegal fireworks, limiting the city’s ability to regulate fireworks, according to the staff report.
Mayor Ashleigh Aitken, who brought the item forward, said the new law would broaden the enforcement of the illegal fireworks ban without impacting the use of safe and sane fireworks.
“This is something that is a problem throughout our city and throughout so many cities around here,” Aitkan said at the April 22 meeting.
Councilwoman Norma Campos Kurtz said that the issue is that people are lighting off fireworks in the streets, not on their property.
“The reality is, I know in my neighborhood, they light those fireworks in the middle of the street, and heaven only knows what house it’s coming from,” Campos Kurtz said at the April 22 meeting.
She added, “Having said that, it’s one step closer to cleaning up the problem.”
Councilwoman Kristen Maahs said residents are already expressing their concern over the use of illegal fireworks on the Fourth of July.
“We’re getting calls and emails about the Fourth of July and fireworks concerns,” Maahs said. “It’s no longer just the Fourth of July, it seems to be a whole week leading up to it.”
Anaheim Fire Marshal Lindsay Young said the city will have a task force on the Fourth of July, including the Anaheim Police Department, code enforcement and an arson fire investigation unit.
Social host fines for a first offense are $1,000, $2,000 for the second and $3,000 for the third offense.
If a host reports a firework violation on their property to the police department, they may be exempt from liability.
Councilwoman Natalie Rubalcava said the biggest challenge when it comes to illegal fireworks is enforcement.
“We definitely get a lot of angry residents who want us to ban legal or the safe and sane, but we all know that’s not going to solve the illegal firework issue,” she said at the April 22 meeting.
Rubalcava said that in previous years, there were issues with no citations being given out.
“We have ordinances that we really don’t have any actual enforcement,” Rubalcava said. “I’m going to support this, but I think we need to figure out a way to actually enforce it in a measurable way.”
Stanton also moved to impose penalties on property owners for the sale, use and possession of illegal fireworks.
Now, both the person in charge and the owner of the home can be fined even if they did not personally set off, sell, or possess fireworks.
Stanton Councilman Victor Barrios raised concerns about placing a burden on apartment complex owners.
“If I were an apartment complex owner and I had 1015 complexes, and I had Gary come across the street, light the fireworks, as an owner, I get the ticket and Gary gets away,” Barrios said at the April 22 meeting.
Councilman Gary Taylor said someone has to be held responsible.
“I just worry we’re going to be targeting an owner who doesn’t live there over the one who should be targeting,” Barrios said.
Mayor David Shawver said it would not be an issue because the property owner could charge tenants for the fines.
“I can tell you right now, those of those properties are not going to be paying for those tickets,” Shawver said at the meeting. “The tenants who’s doing that will be paying for the tickets.”
City Manager Hanna Shin-Heydorn said the city will send out notices to all the multi-family property owners on record, but the responsibility is on the owners to educate and inform their tenants about the ordinance and possible consequences.
“That’s the whole point of the social host ordinance that the owner, the property owner, is responsible, regardless of if they live there or even if they were present,” Shin-Heydorn said at the April 22 meeting.
Shin-Heydorn said there will be an appeal process for owners who call ahead of the citation to report the use of illegal fireworks on their property.
The fines will be $1,000 for each violation.
Shin-Heydorn said the city has faced challenges with catching people in the act, and turning to a social host ordinance will help address the issue.
“Now we have the ability to use different types of evidence to write the citations,” Shin-Heydorn said.
Isabel Torres is a Voice of OC intern. You can contact her at isabtorres@chapman.edu