Every July, our community comes together to celebrate Independence Day. But for many Sacramento County residents, the holiday has become a night of anxiety and frustration. Not because of legal festivities like sparklers or fountains that shoot out colorful sparks, but because of the overwhelming use of illegal fireworks—the kind that explode high into the sky and often end up lighting things on fire.
This year’s Fourth of July was no different, and it appeared to be worse than previous years, which were already bad. We received a huge volume of complaints from all over the district from residents frightened by the scale of illegal fireworks activity. The noise, the risk of fires, the danger to children and pets, and the general disruption to neighborhoods were all common concerns.
Every year, Sacramento County debates how to handle illegal fireworks. In the past, we have tried increasing fines, creating a social host ordinance to hold party hosts accountable, dedicating Code Enforcement teams to the task, and cracking down on illegal fireworks dealers. Despite these efforts, the problem persists and often worsens…