A flurry of illegal fireworks throughout Santa Barbara County has frustrated residents, firefighters and law enforcement officers in recent weeks, with plans to crack down on the activity in the coming days.
Local communities have battled booming fireworks in the past, but this year, many have reported an uptick in illegal activity.
“I see it almost nightly. It doesn’t take long to hear and then see these illegal displays,” Santa Barbara police spokesman Anthony Wagner said. “It might be fun and it might be interesting and it might be unique until a mom, dad or child has an appendage blown off because they were not experts or they were lighting off fireworks not meant for that purpose.”
Reports from Santa Barbara’s Eastside and Westside neighborhoods, Los Alamos, Lompoc and Santa Maria have noted more illegal activity, with an uptick coinciding with the unofficial start of summer on Memorial Day weekend.
“They are very large aerial devices and mortars, and repeated for hours every evening,” Battalion Chief Brian Federmann of the Lompoc Fire Department said.
Illegal fireworks generally are those propelled into the air, creating colorful displays accompanied by loud booms, with sales and use banned throughout Santa Barbara County.
"Safe and sane" fireworks, sporting the State Fire Marshal’s seal of approval, can be sold and used in Santa Maria, Lompoc and Guadalupe but remain illegal in other communities. Additionally, Santa Maria and Lompoc limit the use of safe and sane fireworks to only July 4.
“Some of the devices that are being launched, they’re serious. They’re not the safe and sane setups, obviously,” Federmann said.
The huge booms have proven especially unsettling to veterans, people with autism, pets and senior citizens.
“I think we need to remember that we have sensitivities in all of our communities with respect to young children, the elderly, the military, and it is disturbing,” Federmann said.
Santa Maria police say dog owners top the list of those calling in fireworks complaints. Some dog owners have posted on social media that they have had to resort to medicating the canines because of the anxiety created by the blasts.
The Montecito Fire Protection District, the City of Santa Barbara and the county Sheriff’s Department decided to take proactive steps by reminding residents that all fireworks remain prohibited in anticipation that the activity might pick up as the Fourthe of July nears.
The lack of professional shows for the public because of social distancing and other public safety rules related to the COVID-19 pandemic might be one reason for unauthorized activity, some have speculated.
However, Montecito Battalion Chief Aaron Briner warned that the professional displays involved “a huge process to ensure the public shows are safe,” and don’t cause injuries or spark fires.
Local dispatchers have received dozens, or even hundreds, of calls about illegal fireworks this year, according to a quick tally, and at least one agency has seen a huge boost over the 2019 complaints.
Lompoc police dispatchers reported 147 fireworks calls between May 1 and June 23. For the same time last year, the total was 10. Santa Maria police have received 561 fireworks-related calls since June 1 and issued two citations so far. They also received 50 to 60 fireworks hotline calls and web-based complaints. The county Sheriff’s Department dispatch center noted 170 calls about fireworks-related activity in its jurisdiction since May 1.
In addition, Lompoc firefighters have already handled one small grass fire near O Street and Barton Avenue blamed on fireworks, Federmann said.
First responders fear that a large wildfire sparked by illegal fireworks could create additional challenges involving how to safely conduct evacuations during a public health emergency.
“We just don’t need that additional risk right now in the county,” sheriff’s spokeswoman Raquel Zick said, adding that she has posted fliers reminding residents about the laws.
Nabbing those responsible for igniting illegal fireworks isn’t simple. Still, some cities, including Lompoc and Santa Maria, plan undercover operations in the coming days in an effort to capture those igniting illegal fireworks.
Armed with a new social-host ordinance last year, Santa Maria police issued 33 citations in 2019. The social-host ordinance allows citations to go to property owners, removing the requirement that police must see who ignites an explosive.
“It was effective last year, and we’re hoping we made a difference,” Santa Maria police Lt. Mark Streker said.
Otherwise, law enforcement officers must see who ignites a firework in order to issue a citation.
“We have to get to them before they get into a house, and those can be the challenging parts of doing the fireworks enforcement,” Lompoc police Capt. Kevin Martin said.
Possessing illegal fireworks can bring criminal charges. Other violations have been administrative citations but still carry penalties of $500, $1,000 or $1,500, Martin said.
“In the past, the city has given people breaks on those, but they are not inclined to do that any more,” Martin said. “They will be holding everyone that’s given a citation accountable for that fine.”
Law enforcement officers have encouraged people to report illegal fireworks use, but need as much specific information as possible.
“It is hard to pinpoint,” Zick said. "If you can tell where they’re coming from, that’s very helpful and useful information.”
Santa Maria has set up a fireworks hotline, 805.925.0951 x3473 (FIRE), and an online reporting form, available here, but still need specific details. Videos of the illegal activity also can be helpful. In addition to police, the city will deploy code enforcement officers to issue citations.
Streker said he was happy to hear from a resident plagued by illegal fireworks who expressed gratitude for the successful crackdown in her neighborhood, telling him, “All I hear is crickets.”
“So that’s a big deal to me," Streker said. "It’s a big deal to us.”
— Noozhawk North County editor Janene Scully can be reached at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.
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