By Sara Beth Williams–
Citrus Heights Police have issued nearly 50 illegal fireworks citations, the Chief of Police reported during an update presented to the Citrus Heights City Council.
Police Chief Alex Turcotte reported that 49 citations have been issued throughout the city since the Fourth of July, and that 350 individual illegal fireworks were observed during Independence Day celebrations. Citrus Heights Police Logs between July 3 and July 5 show almost 300 illegal fireworks calls, with the majority of calls occurring on July 4,
Each device discharged is considered a separate violation based on the recently updated illegal fireworks ordinances, which state that fines are issued per device.
Of the 49 citations issued in 2025, 21 were observed through the use of drones in the air. Only three citations for illegal fireworks were listed on July 4, 2024, police incident logs.
$221,000 in fines have been issued thus far, with $10,800 collected, Turcotte said, adding that the records unit has assisted in both helping track data and helping those who wish to protest their fines do so without having to first put up a portion of the fine prior to having a hearing. The records unit has also set up payment plan options, allowing people to pay for fines over time.
New this year, the Police Department utilized Unmanned Aircraft System pilots who were specifically trained to operate drones in difficult airspace. When deployed over Citrus Heights, drones were able to take footage of illegal fireworks, and with the help of a map overlay, code enforcement officers were able to identify addresses where illegal fireworks were being discharged.
Code enforcement officers were also brought into the dispatch center over the Fourth of July to help handle the high volume of illegal fireworks calls, which Turcotte said represented 52 percent of all calls over the Fourth of July.
In past years, the call percentage has been 44 and 48 percent in 2023 and 2024, respectively. Turcotte attributed the higher volume of calls to proactivity.
“The better we are at protecting, the more you’re going to see some additional calls for service,” Turcotte said.
Just like last year, residents in the city were also able to use the SeeClickFix app to send in reports of illegal fireworks online and to indicate whether they were willing to be a witness and attest to the crime. Witness attestation requires witnesses to be willing to verbally attest to the crime in a hearing. The SeeClickFix online application saw 61 total reports.
Turcotte said this year’s various enforcement methods utilized was “seen as pretty successful.”
“Every jurisdiction is suffering the same issue, and I think a lot of them are trying to increase accountability measures,” Turcotte said, adding that the Police Department has received calls from nearby agencies and others from as far away as Southern California, who are looking to see how they can use drone technology to help combat illegal fireworks.
