Citrus Heights Police chief said the calls for service regarding illegal fireworks decreased by 54 percent over this past Fourth of July. Photo designed by Magnific

CITRUS HEIGHTS, CA (MPG) – The circumstances which could have provided for an unexpected burst in fireworks citations in the city of Citrus Heights during the recent July 4th holiday falling on a Saturday and the observance of the nation’s 250th birthday, didn’t happen.

In an unusually brief report to the Citrus Heights City Council on Wednesday, Aug. 12, Citrus Heights Police Chief Alex Turcotte said overall calls for service regarding illegal fireworks decreased by 54 percent over this past Fourth of July, with the department only just issuing two citations for illegal fireworks violations.

Turcotte said he was “very happy with the measures our community took to try to celebrate responsibly.”

“The goal of increasing the penalties last year was about education and curbing behavior, not about collecting money,” he said.

Turcotte said Wednesday that the department “tries to be reasonable” and attribute fines to those who are most responsible for the property based on available evidence through internal reviews.

The Police Department said only $2,000 in fines were issued for illegal fireworks over the Fourth of July holiday weekend, along with a courtesy warning letter sent to one individual, he told council members.

Sales of “safe and sane” fireworks are often one of the biggest annual fundraisers for various nonprofit organizations, with sales legally allowed to begin in the city at noon June 28 and continue through July 4 until 11 p.m.

The police chief provided a summary of operational highlights of this year’s comprehensive enforcement effort, acknowledging the combined efforts of all involved.

“This year 164 calls for service regarding illegal fireworks came into the dispatch center, compared to 360 in 2025, representing a 54 percent decrease,” Turcotte said. Police officers only had enough information to respond to 27 incidents, he reported.

Turcotte attributed the low volume of response to the fact that the holiday fell on a Saturday, which is normally busy for police officers already.

Under recently updated city illegal fireworks ordinances, each device discharged is considered a separate violation.

Last year, police said 49 citations were issued over the holiday weekend and that 360 illegal calls for service were logged regarding illegal fireworks.

Citrus Heights Police Logs between July 3 and July 5, 2025, show almost 300 illegal fireworks calls, with the majority of calls occurring on July 4. Of the 49 citations issued in 2025, 21 were observed through the use of aerial drones in the air.

 2025 Illegal Firework Enforcement Recap’s Proactive Enforcement Model includes a municipal code update, community outreach, UAS drones and pilots, etc. Photo by Thomas J. Sullivan

This continued mix of enhanced enforcement measures including aerial drones, combined with ongoing public education efforts in advance of the holiday is continuing to prove successful, Turcotte told council members.

During the past year, CHPD internal review did bring down the number of fines issued in 2025 from around $300,000 to $103,000, Turcotte said, adding that the records unit has assisted in both helping track data and helping those who wish to protest their fines do so without having to first put up a portion of the fine prior to having a hearing.

The CHPD records unit allows offenders to set up payment plan options, allowing people to pay for fines over time and thus far, $25,000 in fines has been collected with $78,000 still outstanding, he said.

2026 Firework Activity Chart. Documented fireworks activity decreased across both reporting measures compared with 2025. Photo by Thomas. J Sullivan

This year, enhanced laws, higher fines, proactive outreach and unmanned aerial support (UAS) drone support combined to improve enforcement and community safety during peak fireworks times over the July 4 holiday, according to CHPD.

CHPD uses trained Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) pilots to operate drones in difficult airspace where they can take footage of illegal fireworks, and with the help of a map overlay, identify specific addresses where illegal fireworks were being discharged in real time.

Updates to the city fireworks ordinance which have increased fines and tightened enforcement capabilities for the CHPD continue to have a measurable deterring effect upon potential violators, Turcotte told the council.

While sales hours were increased from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., a prior ordinance which was made permanent by the Citrus Heights City Council in 2022 prohibits setting off fireworks after 11 p.m. in the city, including those labeled “safe and sane.”

In 2025, fines were increased from $750 to $1,000 for a first offense. The city also revised its social host ordinance to include property that is under the “apparent control” of a property owner, which could include sidewalks or other adjacent land. 

The city’s fireworks code has since added a $5,000 per device fine for third and subsequent violations within one year and changed the violation type to an infraction where it had previously been listed as a misdemeanor.

The city ordinance also allows authorities to cite landlords and those deemed “social hosts,” if illegal fireworks were discharged on the property.

The Citrus Heights Police Department also has a witness attestation program, which allows officers to press charges on residents who light off illegal fireworks from witnesses willing to testify in person that they observed illegal fireworks being discharged.

Residents in the city are continuing to use the SeeClickFix app to send in reports of illegal fireworks online and to indicate whether they were willing to be a witness and attest to the crime.

The SeeClickFix online application saw just 26 total reports in 2026, compared to 61 reports last year.