Overview
- Sacramento Fire Department deployed its own certified drones for the first time on the Fourth of July to capture high-resolution video that investigators say maps illegal fireworks launches to exact addresses.
- The department issued roughly 70 citations from the July 4 weekend that total about $300,000, including a single roughly $100,000 citation tied to a Del Paso Heights home where footage showed people unloading fireworks from a U-Haul trailer.
- Local rules allow escalating per-device penalties that start at $1,000 and rise to $5,000 for repeat devices, and the city can hold property owners or renters responsible if they do not immediately stop illegal activity on their property.
- Fire agencies reported many small grass and roadside fires and hundreds of service calls around the holiday but said there were no major structure fires or major injuries linked to fireworks this year.
- Officials plan to expand the in-house drone program next year and say the goal is deterrence, though social media commenters have criticized the size and fairness of six-figure fines.