Are you sure you want to turn off that illegal firecracker? A police plane may be watching

Fire up illegal fireworks in Southern California and you might find a police plane flying overhead.

This is the second year the Riverside Police Department has used drones to spot and record residents illegally setting off fireworks during the Fourth of July weekend, a common occurrence across California.

The state bans the sale, transportation and use of fireworks that don’t have a “safe and sound” stamp of approval from the state fire department, meaning they don’t explode, detonate in the air or go off course. Additionally, many cities ban all fireworks.

That doesn’t stop people from shooting off all kinds of pyrotechnics. This week, a Buena Park man was charged with a felony in the death of an 8-year-old child who was injured and died when the man lit an illegal $400 firecracker, which caused an explosion last year.

A 24-year-old man from Pacoima was hospitalized last year with 50% burns on his body and face after a series of explosives were detonated in his home. In the same community, the day before the Fourth of July celebration last year, a fire started by fireworks destroyed four houses, killing one man and leaving many people homeless.

It has been difficult for law enforcement to prevent the use of illegal explosives because people stop using them when patrol cars or police helicopters appear.

Enter the drone.

How Riverside is using drones to catch illegal fireworks users

In Riverside, the aerial robot is operated by a police helicopter pilot, accompanied by a code enforcement officer, a firefighter and a police officer.

The team works together to identify and respond to illegal fireworks activity seen by detectives or reported by residents, said Det. Steven Espinosa, public information officer for the Riverside Police Department.

In 2025, there were 547 calls to duty – reported between June 27 and July 4 – for illegal fireworks, up from 477 the year before. Fireworks-related concerns or complaints filed through the 311 Riverside app, where residents can send service requests or non-emergency local problems, numbered 431, a jump from 307 in 2024.

There were 65 citations, a big bump from just 24 last year.

The Police Department says the increase in citations is due to the use of the drone system. Before that, Espinosa said that when law enforcement responded to a call for illegal fireworks, people “had time to hide things.” The police will not be able to identify the suspect unless a witness comes forward.

Now footage from the drone can be used for citations and prosecutions, he said.

Under the city’s Social Host Ordinance, the owner of a property where fireworks are set off is responsible, “even if he didn’t light them,” according to a city news release.

Usually, when a drone records illegal fireworks activity, a member of the team immediately goes to the address and gives the resident a citation.

The fine for using illegal fireworks in Riverside is $1,500.

“This has been an amazing tool for us to identify those who are clearly making the decision to not follow the rules and be unsafe,” Espinosa said.

Drones are increasingly being used as the eyes of law enforcement. The first drone sent to an emergency call to provide law enforcement with situational awareness in the state was in Chula Vista in 2018, said Charles Warner, founder and director of Drone Responders, a nonprofit organization that promotes the use of unmanned aircraft to improve public safety. The city’s drone program is considered by law enforcement and the drone community to be the first “Drone As First Responder” program in the world, according to the Peace Officers Research Assn.

Warner said that over the next six years there were only 50 First Responder Drone programs across the country because “the regulations were too broad, too complicated and too time-consuming.”

That all changed in 2025 when a nonprofit organization worked with the drone industry and the Federal Aviation Administration to amend those rules to allow cities and counties to implement their own drone programs sooner. There are now about 1,500 law enforcement agencies in the US with such programs and 58 in California.

In a recent report, the Los Angeles Police Department said that drones were used more than 3,000 times last year, mostly in response to emergency calls or requests by officers for help.

“For privacy purposes, they don’t just fly in the sky and hover, they respond to the first call, usually 911,” Warner said.

Although there have been concerns about privacy, Espinosa, the public information officer for Riverside police, said the use of drones to set off fireworks — all of which are illegal in Riverside — has been well received by the community.

“The rules are in place for a reason, and at the end of the day, we want to make sure everyone is safe,” Espinosa said.

Dangers associated with illegal fireworks

Officials in the state reiterated fireworks-related laws to residents ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, citing the dangers associated with the illegal activity.

There were 15 fireworks-related deaths nationwide by 2025, most involving misuse and device burns or malfunctions, according to the US Consumer Product Safety Commission.

An estimated 13,000 people were injured by fireworks last year and an estimated 1,300 emergency responders treated injuries involving sparklers.

When it comes to which parts of the body are injured in explosives incidents, most of them involved the hands and fingers (35%), while the head, face and ears came second (22%), according to the safety commission.

Burns were the most common injury, accounting for 38% of all emergency room visits.

The commission found that children and young adults, ages 15 to 24, accounted for the largest share of reported injuries.

Fires are another problem. In 2024, fireworks started 34,079 fires, including 3,246 structure fires, 857 vehicle fires and 29,517 outdoor fires, according to the National Fire Protection Assn.

LA County cities that allow “safe and discreet” fireworks include Alhambra, Compton and Norwalk. The complete list can be found here.

For those interested in watching a fireworks display, the Los Angeles County Fire Department has compiled a list of fireworks displays, put on by certified professionals, that can be accessed here or by calling (888) 654-3473.

California cities are deploying drones to catch illegal fireworks activity

Cities whose law enforcement departments will deploy drones over the Fourth of July weekend include:

• Downey
• Artesia
• Breathing
• San Bernardino
• Riverside
• Sacramento
• Stanton
• Santa Ana
• Chino
• Hemet
• San Jose