Sure you want to set off that illegal firework? A police drone might be watching

Shoot off an illegal firework in Southern California and you might find a police drone hovering overhead.

This is the second year that the Riverside Police Department is using drones to spot and record residents who are illegally lighting fireworks over the Fourth of July weekend, a common issue throughout California.

The state bans the sale, transport and use of fireworks that don’t have the “safe and sane” stamp of approval from the state fire marshal, meaning they don’t explode, launch into the air or travel erratically. Beyond that, many cities prohibit all fireworks.

That hasn’t stopped people from shooting off all manner of pyrotechnics. This week, a Buena Park man was charged with felony crimes in the death of an 8-year-old who was fatally injured when the man ignited a $400 illegal firework, sparking an explosion last year.

A 24-year-old Pacoima man was hospitalized last year with burns on over 50% of his body and face after a massive cache of fireworks unexpectedly detonated in his home. In the same community a day before Fourth of July celebrations last year, a fire ignited by fireworks engulfed four homes, killed one man and left several people displaced.

It has been difficult for law enforcement to prevent illegal fireworks use because people stop using them the moment patrol cars or police helicopters appear.

Enter the drone.

How Riverside uses drones to nab illegal fireworks users

In Riverside, the aerial robot is operated by a police drone pilot, accompanied by a code enforcement officer, a firefighter and a police officer.

The team works together to identify and respond to illegal fireworks activity that’s either spotted by the drone or reported by residents, said Det. Steven Espinosa, public information officer for the Riverside Police Department.

In 2025, there were 547 calls for service — reported between June 27 and July 4 — regarding illegal fireworks activity, up from 477 the year before. Fireworks-related concerns or complaints placed through the 311 Riverside app, where residents can submit service requests or non-emergency neighborhood issues, totaled 431, a jump from 307 in 2024.

There were 65 citations, a substantial bump from only 24 the year before.

The Police Department attributes the increase in citations to the use of the drone program. Prior to that, Espinosa said when law enforcement responded to a call for illegal fireworks activity, people “had time to hide things.” Officers wouldn’t be able to identify a suspect unless a witness came forward.

Now the recordings from the drone can be used for citations and prosecution, he said.

Under the city’s Social Host Ordinance, the owner of the property where the fireworks are lighted is responsible, “even if they didn’t light them,” according to a city news release.

Generally, when the drone records the illegal fireworks activity, a member of the team immediately goes to the address and hands the resident a citation.

The fine for illegal fireworks use in Riverside is $1,500.

“This has been a spectacular tool for us to identify those who obviously make the decision to not follow the rules and be unsafe,” Espinosa said.

Drones are increasingly used as eyes for law enforcement. The first drone deployed to an emergency call to provide law enforcement with situational awareness in the state was in Chula Vista in 2018, said Charles Werner, founder and director of Drone Responders, a nonprofit that advocates for the use of unmanned aircraft to advance public safety. The city’s drone program is regarded by law enforcement and the unmanned aircraft community as the first “Drone as First Responder” program in the world, according to the Peace Officers Research Assn.

Werner said for the following six years there were only 50 Drone as First Responder programs nationwide because “regulations were too extensive, too complicated and took too long.”

That all changed in 2025 when the nonprofit worked with the drone industry and the Federal Aviation Administration to amend those regulations to allow cities and counties to implement their drone programs faster. Now there are an estimated 1,500 law enforcement agencies in the U.S. with those programs and 58 in California.

In a recent report, the Los Angeles Police Department said drones were deployed more than 3,000 times last year, mostly in response to emergency calls or officer requests for assistance.

“For privacy purposes, they’re not flying just in the sky and loitering, they’re responding at the onset of a call, usually through 911,” Werner said.

While there have been some concerns about privacy, Espinosa, Riverside police’s public information officer, said the use of drones to stop fireworks — all of which are illegal in Riverside — has been well received by the community.

“The rules are in place for a reason, and at the end of the day, we just want to make sure everybody is safe,” Espinosa said.

The risks associated with illegal fireworks

Officials across the state have reiterated fireworks-related laws to their residents ahead of the Fourth of July weekend, citing the dangers associated with the illegal activity.

There were 15 reported fireworks-related deaths nationwide in 2025, with most involving misuse and device misfire or malfunctions, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

About 13,000 people were injured by fireworks last year and an estimated 1,300 emergency room treated injuries involved sparklers.

When it comes to what parts of the body were injured in relation to fireworks incidents, a majority of them involved hands and fingers (35%), and the head, face and ears came in second (22%), according to the safety commission.

Burns were the most common injury, making up 38% of all emergency room visits.

The commission found that children and young adults, ages 15 to 24, accounted for the largest share of reported injuries.

Fires are another problem. In 2024, fireworks started 34,079 blazes, including 3,246 structure fires, 857 vehicle fires and 29,517 outdoor fires, according to the National Fire Protection Assn.

The L.A. County cities that allow “safe and sane” fireworks include Alhambra, Compton and Norwalk. A complete list can be found here.

For those interested in watching a fireworks show, the Los Angeles County Fire Department compiled a list of fireworks displays, put on by certified professionals, that can be accessed here or by calling (888) 654-3473.

Cities in California that are deploying drones to catch illegal fireworks activity

The cities whose local law enforcement departments will deploy drones over the Fourth of July weekend include:

• Downey
• Artesia
• Brea
• San Bernardino
• Riverside
• Sacramento
• Stanton
• Santa Ana
• Chino
• Hemet
• San Jose