Sacramento authorities want this July 4th to be much less chaotic than last

Authorities are cracking down on illegal fireworks again this year, trying to prevent fires, property damage and injuries by getting those explosives off the streets.KCRA 3 did a ride along with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Team to see how deputies are working to stop illegal fireworks use in advance of Independence Day.Exactly a year ago, KCRA 3 was there as chaotic scenes played out across Sacramento County.“Several fires were started. Roads were blocked. Fire personnel can’t even get in there,” explained Sgt. Edward Igoe, public information officer for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. “Fire personnel started taking mortar rounds getting fired at them, while they’re trying to extinguish these fires.”Illegal fireworks shot into the air in 2025. Falling, flammable debris endangered the community and put first responders on edge. All in the name of ‘celebration’ for Independence Day.“Just mayhem. And that’s not something that’s gonna be tolerated,” said Igoe.This year, authorities are trying to see to it that things are safer, and that fireworks –not allowed in California – don’t make it to our streets.| MORE | More than illegal fireworks, these explosives are funding gangs in California“We’re going to try to remove those items from the community before it becomes a problem,” Igoe said.That’s where the Sacramento County Sheriff’s office POP Team comes in.After weeks of social media outreach educating people about crimes they could face, and fines they may pay if caught with illegal fireworks, the POP Team went out Friday to do enforcement work. They’re using the day before the 4th to try to put a dent in the illegal fireworks issue.“Some of the stuff we’re focusing on is repeat offenders from last Fourth of July, and then also from New Year’s,” explained Sgt. Ben Green who leads the POP Team for the sheriff’s office.Tipped off to it last year, Green and his team of eight deputies confiscated hundreds of pounds of fireworks at just one home.So they’re going back this year to homes of people, already on probation, looking for repeat offenders who are violating the terms of their release.“This is part of the reason that probation search is so good,” said Green. “We’re keeping people accountable to the terms of their probation.”The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and agencies across northern California will be out through the weekend, looking for people shooting-off illegal fireworks.They’ll use aircraft and ground teams to look for offenders. People caught may be arrested or cited, and they could face fines of up to $10,000 dollars per device. Parents of minors will be held responsible if their children are caught with illegal fireworks.Riding along with the POP Team, KCRA 3 learned some of the biggest problems within the illegal fireworks market right now.“People are counterfeiting the Safe and Sane stickers,” said Green about stickers all fireworks must display to indicate that they are within what’s considered legal according to standards set forth by the state fire marshal. “In California, the Safe and Sane stickers are getting counterfeited and put on aerial fireworks and a variety of other things.”That, the POP Team says fireworks that leave the ground or explode are considered illegal and put the whole community at risk.“You never know where they’re gonna shoot or how many are gonna explode at the same time,” Green explained.Although this year’s pre-4th POP operation didn’t yield as many illegal fireworks as last year’s, deputies did confiscate explosives at three out of four stops they made Friday morning. The “gets” of illegal fireworks now, they hope, amount to safer celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary on Saturday.“Anything that we can find today means that they can’t potentially harm caused by injury. that’s the ultimate goal,” Igoe said.See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google

Authorities are cracking down on illegal fireworks again this year, trying to prevent fires, property damage and injuries by getting those explosives off the streets.

KCRA 3 did a ride along with the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office Problem Oriented Policing (POP) Team to see how deputies are working to stop illegal fireworks use in advance of Independence Day.

Exactly a year ago, KCRA 3 was there as chaotic scenes played out across Sacramento County.

“Several fires were started. Roads were blocked. Fire personnel can’t even get in there,” explained Sgt. Edward Igoe, public information officer for the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office. “Fire personnel started taking mortar rounds getting fired at them, while they’re trying to extinguish these fires.”

Illegal fireworks shot into the air in 2025. Falling, flammable debris endangered the community and put first responders on edge. All in the name of ‘celebration’ for Independence Day.

“Just mayhem. And that’s not something that’s gonna be tolerated,” said Igoe.

This year, authorities are trying to see to it that things are safer, and that fireworks –not allowed in California – don’t make it to our streets.

| MORE | More than illegal fireworks, these explosives are funding gangs in California

“We’re going to try to remove those items from the community before it becomes a problem,” Igoe said.

That’s where the Sacramento County Sheriff’s office POP Team comes in.

After weeks of social media outreach educating people about crimes they could face, and fines they may pay if caught with illegal fireworks, the POP Team went out Friday to do enforcement work. They’re using the day before the 4th to try to put a dent in the illegal fireworks issue.

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“Some of the stuff we’re focusing on is repeat offenders from last Fourth of July, and then also from New Year’s,” explained Sgt. Ben Green who leads the POP Team for the sheriff’s office.

Tipped off to it last year, Green and his team of eight deputies confiscated hundreds of pounds of fireworks at just one home.

So they’re going back this year to homes of people, already on probation, looking for repeat offenders who are violating the terms of their release.

“This is part of the reason that probation search is so good,” said Green. “We’re keeping people accountable to the terms of their probation.”

The Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office and agencies across northern California will be out through the weekend, looking for people shooting-off illegal fireworks.

They’ll use aircraft and ground teams to look for offenders. People caught may be arrested or cited, and they could face fines of up to $10,000 dollars per device. Parents of minors will be held responsible if their children are caught with illegal fireworks.

Riding along with the POP Team, KCRA 3 learned some of the biggest problems within the illegal fireworks market right now.

“People are counterfeiting the Safe and Sane stickers,” said Green about stickers all fireworks must display to indicate that they are within what’s considered legal according to standards set forth by the state fire marshal. “In California, the Safe and Sane stickers are getting counterfeited and put on aerial fireworks and a variety of other things.”

That, the POP Team says fireworks that leave the ground or explode are considered illegal and put the whole community at risk.

“You never know where they’re gonna shoot or how many are gonna explode at the same time,” Green explained.

Although this year’s pre-4th POP operation didn’t yield as many illegal fireworks as last year’s, deputies did confiscate explosives at three out of four stops they made Friday morning. The “gets” of illegal fireworks now, they hope, amount to safer celebrations of America’s 250th anniversary on Saturday.

“Anything that we can find today means that they can’t potentially harm caused by injury. that’s the ultimate goal,” Igoe said.

See more coverage of top California stories here | Download our app | Subscribe to our morning newsletter | Find us on YouTube here and subscribe to our channel | Make KCRA a preferred news source in Google