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Council introduces tougher fireworks rules, including 'responsible person' liability and tighter hours
Summary
The City Council introduced an ordinance tightening fireworks regulation: creation of a 'responsible person' standard (property owners or adults who knowingly allow discharge may be liable), bans in parks and other high-fire-risk areas, reduced sale hours on July 4, and new enforcement tools including fines, cost recovery and liens.
Operations Lieutenant Mark Adams told the council that the city has seen a sharp increase in illegal, unpredictable fireworks that create public-safety and quality-of-life problems. The proposed ordinance consolidates rules into a single code chapter, explicitly bans illegal fireworks, restricts discharge in city parks, the Fresno River area and other high-fire-hazard zones, and defines a "responsible person" who may be held accountable if fireworks are discharged on their property or with their permission.
Key changes in the draft include newly limited discharge hours (for sale days: 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., and until midnight on July 4), a reduction of July 4 sales hours and elimination of July 5 sales in the proposed code, and stricter operational requirements for permitted fireworks stands (safety distances, extinguishers, storage rules) with an earlier teardown deadline (removal by July 7 rather than July 11). Enforcement options include misdemeanors, fines up to $1,000 per violation, recovery of police and fire response costs, and the ability to record liens on properties for unpaid fines.
Chief Gino Chiaramonte said the changes give officers clearer authority to hold property owners responsible when proof of an individual burner is not available. Councilmembers expressed support for stronger enforcement; the council introduced the ordinance by title and waived the first reading by unanimous vote.
Lieutenant Adams said the community development director will continue to control fireworks permits for "safe and sane" sales to nonprofits; staff described a plan for a lottery process if permitted applications exceed the number of allowed stands in future years.
