Efforts To Curb Illegal Fireworks Pay Off In 2023: RivCo Officials

RIVERSIDE COUNTY, CA — The County of Riverside released results Tuesday about its efforts to combat illegal fireworks over the Fourth of July 2023 holiday, including the weeks leading up to it.

County teams from the sheriff’s department, fire department and code enforcement wrote more than 250 citations, including one arrest, and the agencies seized more than 830 pounds of explosives, according to the final tally.

The sheriff’s department received more than 3,200 fireworks-related calls this year. County officials compared the number to the 4,800 fireworks-related calls received by the law enforcement agency in 2021.

The 33 percent call reduction was lauded by Riverside County Board of Supervisors Chair Kevin Jeffries, First District.

"The reduction in calls from residents is a positive indication that our strong enforcement and advertising is working,” Jeffries said. “We still have plenty of work to do to stomp out illegal fireworks, however, I’m very pleased that folks appear to be getting the message. Posing a threat to life and property won’t be tolerated in Riverside County.”

New advertisements were developed for the county's 2023 “If You Light It, We’ll Write It” campaign, which focused on the dangers of illegal fireworks to people, pets and property. The $150,000 campaign that was OK'd by the Board of Supervisors in April ran on digital and traditional media platforms, including digital freeway boards, local newspapers, broadcast radio, audio streaming, social media and digital display banners in both English and Spanish. The campaign reached 4.6 million people in the days and weeks leading up to the holiday, according to the county.

During that time, the sheriff’s department, Cal Fire/Riverside County Fire Department and county Code Enforcement chased down tips and issued hundreds of tickets totaling thousands of dollars in fines. The civil penalty starts at $1,000 and goes up to $5,000 depending on the number of violations a person has had over three years.

“This year with the help of our residents, we were able to be proactive,” said Code Enforcement Director Bob Magee. “As residents reported locations that historically light off fireworks, we were able to pay them a visit the week before the holiday and educate them on the penalties for illegal fireworks. All those locations were dark on July 4th.”