Latest news with #SacramentoFireDepartment
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Yahoo
Northern California residents to be ‘wildly surprised' by massive illegal fireworks fines in the mail
( –Thousands of illegal fireworks users who thought they got away with lighting them up on the Fourth of July may be surprised by hefty citations showing up in their mailboxes over the next few weeks. Northern California skylines lit up Friday night with big, bright, and illegal fireworks. Despite stern warnings from law enforcement about fines and even possible jail time, there seemed to be no shortage of illegal fireworks going off throughout the night and into Saturday morning. Northern California officials suspect illegal fireworks to blame for several wildfires 'A lot of people are going to be wildly surprised when they get massive fines in the mail,' Sacramento Fire Department Captain Justin Sylvia told on Saturday. While residents were shooting colorful explosives into the sky, law enforcement was driving around in unmarked vehicles and flying drones over known hotspots for illegal activity. This tactic was also used last year, but this time around, penalties are drastically different, according to SFD. Instead of being fined per illegal fireworks occurrence, violators are now fined per lit firework. Northern California police warn of $1,000 fine per illegal firework amid Fourth of July holiday 'What may have been a $1,000 fine for one occurrence last year could now be $30,000 because you lit off so many,' Sylvia said. Fines are mailed to the homeowner, regardless of who lit the fireworks. Because of the Social Host Ordinance in Sacramento, the homeowner is responsible for all activities that happen on their premise. If the person who sets off illegal fireworks is renting or even just visiting, the homeowner will receive the fines. Police seize nearly 2,000 pounds of illegal fireworks, explosives in Northern California 'Homeowners around Sacramento might be issuing eviction notices,' Sylvia said. SFD said it is still reviewing surveillance footage, but has around 60 citations in the works. The citations, so far, total hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. 'If you think you got away with it, you probably didn't,' Sylvia said. 'It's probably captured on video, so expect a very large fine coming your way.' Another Northern California agency, the Woodland Fire Department, is known to send out illegal fireworks citations after Independence Day has passed. Last year, the agency reviewed reports from the Nail Em App, which is an anonymous platform that community members can use to report their neighbors for illegal fireworks use. 'For those that we didn't have the pleasure of meeting in person on the 4th in action, you've got mail on the way,' WPD said during last year's operation. 'The bottom line is, we heard the overwhelming majority of our community loud and clear, they do not want to hear or see illegal fireworks.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Yahoo
How does Northern California law enforcement know who to mail fireworks fines to?
( — The Fourth of July holiday has passed, but fines and penalties for illegal fireworks usage in Northern California are just beginning. After some law enforcement agencies announced fines to come through the mail, community members became curious about how officials would know who to send them to. Because illegal fireworks often show up at large gatherings, many people may think it's easy to get away with using them. The logic is that there are too many people to catch, and even if law enforcement sees a person in action, they can't be sure of the person's residency to fine them. Although some people think they avoided fines on the Fourth of July, local law enforcement said there were provisions in place to catch those who participated in illegal activity even after the holiday. Northern California residents to be 'wildly surprised' by massive illegal fireworks fines in the mail In Sacramento, the Social Host Ordinance holds property owners responsible for all activities that occur on their premises, including the use of illegal fireworks. It was adopted in 2022 and allows law enforcement to fine the owners $1,000 and up for using illegal fireworks at their homes and $10,000 and up for violations at schools and parks within the American River Parkway. Some tools used in the Sacramento area include drones and unmarked law enforcement vehicles. Northern California police warn of $1,000 fine per illegal firework amid Fourth of July holiday 'It's a very quiet system,' Sacramento Fire Department Captain Justin Sylvia told '(We) roll up, get video of you, drop a pin on Google maps of what house was doing it, screenshot that, and move onto the next.' Sylvia said that while people were lighting up illegal fireworks, teams of firefighters and other law enforcement officers were parked nearby and recording the activity. Crews made sure to capture clear video and accurate home addresses for the illegal activity. Additionally, he said that violators can expect citations in the mail within the next 30 days – and even beyond that. SFD's operation is backed by the City of Sacramento, some local non-profit organizations, and TNT Fireworks, which partnered to help enforce fireworks regulations. On July 3, Sacramento City Councilmember Lisa Kaplan hosted a press conference to announce a 'new level of enforcement' aimed at cracking down on illegal fireworks. The enforcement included a new drone program. Police seize nearly 2,000 pounds of illegal fireworks, explosives in Northern California 'Dangerous illegal fireworks have been a nuisance in our City for years, damaging city property and critical infrastructure,' Kaplan said in a press release. 'Last Fourth of July weekend, the Sacramento Fire Department responded to 430 emergency calls, a 56% increase compared to 2023.' Drones targeting illegal fireworks in Sacramento were used from 7 p.m. to 1 a.m. from July 4 to July 5. Surveillance footage from the drones are still under review. In Woodland, drones were also a part of their fireworks enforcement programs. Similar to Sacramento, a host ordinance allows for law enforcement to cite property owners for anything that happens on their premises. According to Woodland Police Department Sergeant Ryan Bowler, the use of drones has been a game changer. Bowler oversees the city's drone program, which is utilized all year long. However, during the Fourth of July holiday, it's especially useful. 'With so many inundated calls, they are beyond the staffing levels that we have on particular nights,' Bowler told 'Drones allow us to follow up on those calls and either send a citation through the mail or deliver them in person.' When calls came in for illegal fireworks on the Fourth, instead of immediately using a patrol vehicle, WPD responded to the area with drones. According to Bowler, drones can locate a general area, help the police department to 'pretty quickly' catch someone using illegal fireworks, and see where they're coming from. That allows the department to investigate and respond accordingly. Additionally, Bowler said the department utilizes the Nail Em App, which allows community members to report illegal fireworks, upload photos and videos, and send them directly to law enforcement. Bowler said people who think they're in the clear from being cited for illegal fireworks may still receive fines in the near future. 'You're using them at your own risk with the potential of receiving a citation for $1000 up to tens of thousands of dollars,' Bowler said. 'All of that for less than 10 seconds of excitement. It's not worth it.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
CBS News
21-06-2025
- Climate
- CBS News
Fire on River Plaza Drive in Sacramento knocks out power to nearby businesses
A grass fire in Sacramento knocked out power to several businesses on Saturday, the Sacramento Fire Department said. There was a 1-acre grass fire near River Plaza Drive, the fire department said. Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes said the Fire Department stated that the grass fire was near a power pole, and it caused damage to the power lines. Per our Sacramento Fire Department: There was a one acre grass fire that damaged power lines causing an outage to... Posted by Vice Mayor Karina Talamantes on Saturday, June 21, 2025 Power may not be restored until about 8 p.m., Talamantes said. Some of the affected businesses include Chevy's, Crawdads and other nearby businesses.
CBS News
18-06-2025
- Automotive
- CBS News
Car crashes into south Sacramento Starbucks, minor injuries reported
SACRAMENTO — Customers were injured by broken glass when a car crashed into a south Sacramento Starbucks, police said Tuesday evening. Sacramento police said it happened just before 5:30 p.m. at the Starbucks at Greenhaven Drive and Pocket Road. All injuries, including to the driver, were minor, police said. An image released by the Sacramento Fire Department shows the vehicle fully entered the store. Sacramento Fire Department Sacramento police said the crash was fully accidental.
CBS News
13-06-2025
- Politics
- CBS News
Sacramento proposes $10,000 fines for illegal fireworks and new curfew for July 4th
SACRAMENTO — Sacramento City Councilmember Lisa Kaplan is supporting new emergency regulations that would dramatically increase firework fines this year. Next week, city leaders will consider an emergency measure that increases the penalty by ten times the current amount for some first-time offenses. The proposal targets anyone caught with bottle rockets, firecrackers or any other fireworks that are illegal in California. Currently, the maximum fine for a first-time offense is $1,000. That penalty would be increased to $10,000 for anyone caught using fireworks in parks, schools, playgrounds, community centers and other critical infrastructure. "They're not cheap, so if you're spending $1,000, $2,000 on fireworks for some of these, then a $10,000 fine needs to be the deterrent," Kaplan said. The stiffer penalties are in response to the increase in fires seen during last year's Independence Day. The Sacramento Fire Department says that in 2023, there were 63 fires in the first five days of July. That number jumped to 111 last year, a 76% increase. Red Banes is a Natomas resident who supports the tougher fines. "It's something that's so important to have some teeth in this," he said. Fourth of July fireworks celebrations will also have a new curfew under the proposal. In Sacramento, it's typically not dark until around 9:30 p.m., and currently, fireworks can be set off until midnight. The proposed new rules would prohibit setting off fireworks after 10 p.m. "I don't want to limit the fun, but we have to do it in a safe and sane way," Kaplan said. Last year, the City of Sacramento issued 55 firework citations, which added up to a total of $100,000 in fines.
