Citrus Heights council backs plan for California-Nevada task force to address illegal fireworks

By Sara Beth Williams–
The Citrus Heights City Council on Wednesday voted unanimously to approve a Letter of Support to Gov. Gavin Newsom urging California to address illegal fireworks coming in from out of state.

Citrus Heights City Mayor Jayna Karpinski-Costa wrote in a letter to Newsom, which states in part: “I am writing on behalf of our community to express our strong support for the proposal to authorize the State Fire Marshal and the California Attorney General to explore the possibility of establishing a task force comprised of fire and law enforcement agencies from California and Nevada.”

According to the letter, the joint task force would address “the pressing issue” of illegal fireworks entering California from Nevada and help negotiate an interstate compact to address the influx of illegal fireworks entering California.

“Illegal fireworks pose a significant safety risk to our residents and disrupt the well-being of our community,” Karpinski-Costa wrote, calling the situation a “critical issue that requires immediate state action.”

Councilmember Tim Schaefer described illegal fireworks as a dangerous public nuisance and said he “fully supports” the letter and all efforts to combat illegal fireworks.

Dennis Revell, a TNT Fireworks representative, spoke on the content of the letter, saying illegal fireworks “pose a significant problem for the state.” Revell has advocated for a crackdown on illegal fireworks coming into California from Nevada in the past, and initially proposed an interstate cooperation and other solutions in recommendations to the State Fire Marshall earlier this year.

Resident David Shelton, who has spoken on illegal fireworks in his neighborhood in previous City Council meetings, urged the City Council to directly address the presence of non “safe and sane” fireworks in the city that occur during New Year’s Eve, which he emphasized was “only 11 weeks away.”

The drafted letter was approved unanimously by the council during the Oct. 23 City Council meeting.

In 2022, the City Council amended the illegal fireworks ordinance, making penalties for those who use illegal fireworks much more severe. The first infraction is a $750 penalty, and subsequent infractions may result in a $1,000 fine. Individuals responsible for illegal fireworks can also be charged the actual costs of emergency responses, in addition to fines.