Dima-Smith: Celebrating American Independence Shouldn’t Cost a Child’s Life, Why OC Needs Stronger Fireworks Rules

Every Fourth of July, neighborhoods across Orange County come alive with celebration. We gather with family and friends, barbecue under the afternoon sun, and watch fireworks burst over our streets—a dazzling tribute to America’s hard-won freedoms.

In my own family, it’s one of our most cherished traditions. My daughter races down the block with glow sticks, laughing alongside neighborhood kids, while my wife and I catch up with old friends under the warm night sky. Seeing her eyes light up as the first fireworks sparkle above is one of those simple joys that define summer.

But each year, as the bangs grow louder and closer, I feel a deep unease. I instinctively check to make sure my daughter is nearby. I think about close friends of ours who are veterans, some of whom quietly retreat indoors because those sudden explosions stir memories they’ve spent years trying to manage.

This year, that unease turned into heartbreak for our own Anaheim community. Eight-year-old Jasmine Nguyen—an Anaheim resident—was killed on the Fourth of July while visiting family in Buena Park when an illegal fireworks show misfired, sending blasts toward her loved ones’ home. Police say she was hit by debris and critically injured before being rushed to UC Irvine Medical Center, where she later died. Authorities have since arrested the man suspected of setting off the illegal fireworks on suspicion of involuntary manslaughter.

As a father, reading that story felt like a punch to the chest. As an Anaheim resident and a city commissioner, it’s devastating to know this tragedy struck one of our own families. It’s a chilling reminder that our celebrations of freedom must not come at the cost of a child’s life.

Fireworks are not harmless. National Fire Protection Association data shows fireworks cause more than 19,000 fires annually in the United States. Thousands of children end up in emergency rooms with burns or blast injuries each year. Local shelters see huge spikes in lost pets. And for countless veterans living with PTSD, fireworks transform a summer evening into a traumatic minefield.

They’re also an environmental hazard. Studies have documented the surge in toxic heavy metals like barium and strontium in the air after fireworks shows—pollutants that directly conflict with the work I do every day at the Orange County Power Authority, where we help cities and businesses transition to cleaner, healthier energy systems.

We have the tools to prevent tragedies like what happened to Jasmine. Many California communities already have strong local ordinances that restrict or outright ban personal fireworks, relying instead on carefully controlled professional displays. It’s time for cities across Orange County—including my own city of Anaheim—to step up with stronger rules and real enforcement.

Here’s what that could look like:

• Ban personal use of fireworks, including so-called “safe and sane” fireworks in cities where appropriate.
• Substantially increase fines for illegal fireworks, with harsher penalties for repeat offenses, and ensure prosecutors are prepared to pursue cases that endanger public safety.
• Establish seasonal fireworks task forces that pool resources from police, fire, and code enforcement to actively patrol during high-risk days.
• Tighten rules around any legal retail sales, including frequent inspections and strict license revocation policies for violations.
• Invest in sustained public education campaigns that explain the risks fireworks pose to children, veterans, pets, and air quality, and promote safe alternatives like community-run shows.
• Create dedicated hotlines or text-based systems so residents can easily report illegal fireworks and expect a rapid response.

This isn’t about taking joy from our traditions. It’s about ensuring our kids can watch fireworks from the safety of their front yards—without parents fearing a stray rocket will turn the night deadly. It’s about making sure veterans who fought for our freedoms can spend Independence Day in peace. It’s about upholding the very promise of community that celebrations are meant to strengthen.

But all of that work falls flat if families can’t feel safe in their own homes on a summer evening.

I’m urging our local leaders: now is the time to act. Strengthen your fireworks ordinances, fund enforcement, and give your communities the tools they need to keep neighbors safe. Let’s ensure no other Anaheim family—or any family across Orange County—has to endure the unimaginable pain that Jasmine’s loved ones are now living with.

We can honor freedom and liberty by protecting our children, our veterans, and the health of our communities—so celebrations never again come with a funeral.

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