Why this matters
Fireworks have ignited thousands of fires across California every year since 2020 while causing tens of millions of dollars in damages. With risks greater on the Fourth of July, police departments are turning to technology to prevent such fires.
This Fourth of July, residents of San Diego County might be seeing more than just fireworks in the skies.
A growing number of cities are tightening enforcement of a countywide fireworks ban through drone technology. California cities like Chino and San Bernardino embraced the approach earlier, and now several cities in North County – Oceanside, Escondido and Carlsbad – are ready to deploy drones this way locally.
In Oceanside, a May ordinance declared firework activity “a public nuisance subject to administrative enforcement” and described how drones will be deployed in response to reported illegal fireworks violations using “a coordinated drone-and-ground patrol program targeting peak fireworks periods.”
Additionally, property owners and social hosts can now be held responsible for violations that occur on their properties — even if they don’t set off the fireworks themselves.
Oceanside Police Capt. Nick Nuñez told inewsource that combining these two tactics will hopefully help law enforcement officers locate and penalize offenders better than sending a patrol car to a scene where people will simply scatter. He described past patrolling tactics as “widely unsuccessful.”
Recent military equipment reports showed Oceanside had 15 drones, the fifth-most among law enforcement agencies in San Diego County. Nuñez said the department could potentially use its entire fleet.
“I’m not saying that all of them are gonna be up at the same time, but I’m also not gonna say that they’re not,” he said.
Violators of the fireworks ban could face fines beginning at $1,000 and increasing up to $10,000 in a calendar year for repeat occurrences. Penalties will be reduced by 50% over the program’s first year to allow the community to familiarize themselves with the new regulations.
In Escondido, the City Council also updated its fireworks ordinance in June to implement drone enforcement and allow for fines up to $1,000.
Under the new ordinance, “social hosts” can be cited for violations that occur on their property, along with parents or guardians “if they reasonably should have known a minor was involved in a violation,” according to Police Lt. Lee Stewart.
“The goal of these enhanced measures is not only enforcement, but also deterrence and community safety, particularly during high-risk periods,” Stewart added.
In Carlsbad, an ordinance adopted in April also implements drone enforcement and holds “social hosts” accountable.
The city of Carlsbad has received about 130 fireworks-related calls for service over the past two years, according to Carlsbad Police Department Public Information Officer Denise Ramirez. Many of those calls occurred in residential neighborhoods during peak holiday periods.
“Drones can provide officers with real-time situational awareness, helping identify the location of illegal fireworks activity while allowing resources to be deployed more efficiently,” Ramirez wrote to inewsource.
A June 19 Facebook post by the Cal Fire/San Diego County Fire Protection District account described the dangers posed by “all consumer fireworks,” which “can ignite dry vegetation quickly and put lives, homes, and first responders at risk.”
The post said, “This June has been extremely dry across the region, and we’re already seeing several large wildfires. With conditions like this, it really doesn’t take much for a small spark to turn into something much bigger.”
According to data provided to inewsource by Cal Fire, fireworks have ignited over 1,000 fires in California every year since 2020 and caused tens of millions of dollars of damage. In 2025 alone, fires caused by fireworks caused over $19.6 million in property damages.
Nuñez emphasized the importance of enforcing the fireworks ban during an era of increased fire risk across the state and said drones could reduce the dangers.
“We’re really just trying to come up with something to help keep our community safe,” Nuñez said. “Hopefully, people come to realize the importance of this and are able to just leave the fireworks to the professionals.”
