Officials in two more Orange County cities are tightening rules on fireworks ahead of the nation’s 250th birthday celebration on July 4.
It comes as a host of cities in the region last year adopted ordinances allowing a property owner to be fined for having illegal fireworks being used on their property as elected leaders have long grappled with trying to curb illegal pyrotechnics.
At the Orange City Council meeting tomorrow, officials are set to debate their own social host ordinance making property owners liable for the use of illegal fireworks on their property, implementing fines of up to $7,000 for three or more violations in a three year period and using drones to enforce the law.
Last week, with little discussion on the matter, Placentia City Council members voted unanimously to approve a new law that makes it a misdemeanor to discharge fireworks in the city.
According to Thomas Mckenzie, administrative police lieutenant and project manager, the new ordinance will replace a prior municipal fireworks code that was repealed in December 2022.
The new law explicitly states that the use, discharge, manufacturing, selling and transportation of any and all fireworks within the city of Placentia is outlawed.
Public fireworks displays will also be subjected to a permit approval process, where the request will need to be submitted to the fire chief and chief of police 30 days prior to when the display will take place.
Violations of the new ordinance will be counted as a misdemeanor for any person, property owner, minors and their legal guardians. The first offense will either carry a penalty of $500 to $1,000, imprisonment in the county jail for up to a year, or both depending on the conviction.
The second offense carries a penalty of $1,000 and imprisonment in the county jail for a year.
“Currently, we don’t have a clear enforcement ability. So this will bring back that ability to solve these community problems,” Mckenzie said. “Our community is very important to all of us and we want to make sure that these concerns are addressed swiftly and appropriately.”
The council is slated to adopt the new ordinance on May 5, where it will go into full effect 30 days after.
This comes as cities across Orange County have been looking for ways to curb the use of illegal fireworks.
Cities like Anaheim, Fullerton and Stanton have chosen to adopt “social host” ordinances – a law that holds property owners accountable for the use of illegal fireworks. The cities allow for “safe and sane” fireworks sold at approved stands.
Like Placentia, cities such as La Habra, Irvine and Laguna Beach have outright banned the use of all fireworks.
Recently, the City of Stanton moved to overhaul its firework ordinance, imposing new administrative fines on violators and emphasizing the liability of buying illegal fireworks.
Stanton’s change now makes fines gradually increase. Firework violations 10 or less result in a $2,500 fine, $5,000 for 11 to 20 violations and the largest amount fined capped off at $10,000 for 21 violations or more – all in a one-year period.
During the March 24 council meeting, Stanton City Attorney HongDao Nguyen said the move is aimed at deterring illegal fireworks.
“The city considered this very thoughtfully and the policy behind these fines for particularly dangerous fireworks but all fireworks violations, it’s not meant to be punitive, it’s meant to be a deterrent so that those individuals who would think or consider violating the city’s code would think twice about it.”