City of Orange Fourth of July crackdown pulled in fines of $240,000

The City of Orange announced its 2026 fireworks enforcement results, reaping $240,000 in fines for illegal firework violators.

In response to community concerns about property damage, noise disruption, and fire risk, the city said it ramped up its Fourth of July enforcement, using drones to locate offenders.

Drones used high-definition video to detect illegal aerial discharges, helping to pinpoint 13 properties and issue 8 citations totaling $240,000 under the city's new Social Host ordinance.  One property owner voluntarily surrendered 26 aerial mortars to avoid fines.

Orange Mayor Dan Slater broke down the tiered fines, which start at $3,000 per party. "Then for the first firework that you discharge illegally, that's $2,000. The second one is $4,000, and the third one is $6,000," he said.

Then it's $6,000 for each one shot off after that. The fee schedule was approved by the Orange City Council.

"I think it is excessive. I also think it's not going to work. It's the Fourth of July. It's gonna happen," neighbor Bob Matthews said.

But the mayor hopes that just the opposite will happen next Fourth of July, with the fines serving as a deterrent.

"The biggest disappointment, of course, is that we only have two drones and one of them malfunctioned, so we did this operation with only one drone, so it's hopeful that next year we'll have several in operation," Slater said.

The homeowner, facing the $69,000, told CBS LA that she doesn't know who was shooting off the illegal fireworks in the church parking lot next to her house.

She also said a crowd ran into her backyard when police showed up and she didn't know them either. She plans to appeal her fine.

'The primary objective of this year's multi-departmental effort was preventative, with a focus on eliminating fires, reducing injuries, and protecting our neighborhoods," the City of Orange wrote in a news release.

8 properties: Totaling approximately $240,000 in fines

• 700 Block of N. Elmwood St = $111,000
• 700 Block of E. Barkley Ave = $69,000
• 600 Block of N. Highland St = $21,000  
• 2200 Block of E. Sycamore Ave = $15,000
• 2100 Block of E. Jacaranda Ave= $9,000
• 2500 Block of E. Collins Ave = $5,000
• 1000 Block of N. Sacramento St = $5,000
• 2100 Block of E. Jacaranda Ave = $5,000

Last year, the city of Stanton used similar tactics, deploying drones on the Fourth of July to crack down on illegal fireworks. Citations were issued to 18 different homeowners, totaling nearly $1 million.