The City of Santa Maria has a new tool in the fight against illegal fireworks.
A high-altitude aircraft will capture video of the flight of illegal fireworks, pinpointing the parcel number and property owner where the ignition occurred, likely leading to administrative fines.
Santa Maria announced the aggressive new effort as the city, along with Lompoc and Guadalupe, began sales of safe and sane fireworks in their communities at noon Tuesday from 25 stands in Santa Maria, five booths in Lompoc and one in Guadalupe.
While safe and sane fireworks can be purchased in those cities, they can only be used in all three cities on July 4.
All fireworks, including safe and sane fireworks, remain prohibited in Santa Barbara, Goleta, Solvang, Buellton and Carpinteria along with the unincorporated areas of Santa Barbara County. Those areas include communities such as Orcutt, Santa Ynez, Vandenberg Village, Noleta and Montecito.
Firefighters urged residents to attend one of the professional shows that will take place at the Santa Maria Elks/Unocal Event Center, Solvang and Santa Barbara.
Santa Maria’s fireworks crackdown typically includes education and enforcement, but Santa Maria Fire Chief Todd Tuggle revealed a new weapon in the effort to stop scofflaws.
“The ones we’re concerned about are the bottle rockets — the things that leave the ground and go 100 feet up,” Tuggle said.
Safe and sane fireworks easily can be identified since they carry the state seal confirming their approval for use.
“Based on the hundreds of complaints we’ve had the last couple of years about illegal fireworks, we’ve tried to take an innovative approach,” Tuggle said. “This year, we’re going to be using a high-altitude aircraft that has the ability to video the actual launch of fireworks.”
The system also will use technology to pinpoint the parcel where the fireworks launched, allowing the city to issue administrative citations to the property owner.
Santa Maria has several dense areas and vacant dry lots that have firefighters concerned along with several older structures that don’t use modern fire protection rules.
Lompoc’s city borders sit near areas covered in extremely dry vegetation, increasing fire concerns from illegal fireworks among multiple chiefs through the years.
California’s shortage of rainfall has fire officials across the state especially worried as fireworks season arrives.
“You would think people would be more safety conscious, especially in this historic drought,” Tuggle said.
Tuggle declined to discuss specifics about when the city will deploy the aircraft.
“We’re really trying to make a difference here in Santa Maria,” he said.
Santa Maria isn’t alone in trying to crack down on illegal fireworks. Guadalupe’s Public Safety Department has purchased a drone to increase enforcement and safety during the Fourth of July weekend.
“This will assist with enforcement of fireworks laws and to alert public safety personnel to any fires that may occur due to illegal fireworks,” said Public Safety Director Michael Cash, who oversees the police and fire departments.
Opponents say fireworks, often including a loud bang, affect veterans, senior citizens and people with autism.
Additionally, they can frighten pets to flee so owners should take precautions, including talking to veterinarians regarding sedatives for pets. Owners also should ensure that each pet wears an ID tag with contact information and is microchipped.
Anyone caught using safe and sane fireworks other than on July 4 or using illegal fireworks any time will be subject to a $1,000 fine.
Santa Maria and Lompoc have launched public service announcements about fireworks, available here and here.
The fireworks hotline for complaints within the Santa Maria city limits can be reached by calling 805.925.0951 x3473 (FIRE). Residents can submit tips via the website by clicking here.
— 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.
