The San Pablo City Council unanimously supported proposals Monday to strengthen the city’s longstanding ban on fireworks.
The move, prompted by years of mounting safety concerns and enforcement challenges, expands accountability beyond property owners to include tenants and event hosts, and increases penalties for violations to as much as $2,500 per offense.
The ordinance builds upon the city’s earlier prohibition established in 2021 that banned the sale, possession, storage, or use of all fireworks within city limits. While that initial law helped reduce illegal activity through community education and outreach, enforcement proved difficult because violations were processed through the city’s nuisance-abatement system, which primarily targeted property owners.
“You can’t abate a firework that’s already been discharged,” Police Chief Brian Bubar told councilmembers. “We needed more effective tools for real-time enforcement.”
Under the revised code, both residents and property owners can be cited if fireworks are used on or around their property, and police will have clearer authority to issue administrative citations directly to those responsible. The first offense carries a $1,000 fine, with a second offense within one year escalating to $2,500.
City officials stressed that the goal remains education, not punishment. “Our goal every year is zero citations,” Bubar said. “But we have to be realistic — fireworks are dangerous, and enforcement is necessary to keep our community safe.”
The chief cited several sobering examples underscoring the danger: two young San Pablo residents among seven people killed in a July fireworks warehouse explosion in Yolo County, and NFL player Najee Harris, who has local roots, suffering an eye injury from a fireworks mishap at a gathering in Antioch.
San Pablo saw a 403 percent spike in fireworks-related calls during the 2020 pandemic, from 88 in 2019 to 443 in 2020. Despite major reductions after the city began its outreach campaign and introduced a popular July 4th drone show in 2023, calls have crept upward again. Through Oct. 1, 2025, police have already logged 156 fireworks-related calls, a 10 percent increase from the previous year.
To strengthen enforcement and identify offenders, San Pablo Police plan to leverage technology, including public safety cameras, drones, and the city’s ShotSpotter system, which can distinguish gunfire from fireworks. Officers will continue joint operations with neighboring agencies in Richmond, El Cerrito, Hercules and Pinole.
The council’s decision followed public comment and firsthand accounts from residents describing sleepless nights and hazardous conditions on streets like Broadway Avenue, one of the city’s most affected corridors. “It was unreal,” Vice Mayor Elizabeth Pabon-Alvarado said. “You couldn’t step outside without worrying about fireworks landing on you.”
The amended ordinance will return to the council for final adoption on Oct. 20, becoming effective Nov. 19. The city plans to immediately begin public outreach before the New Year’s holiday, warning residents that police will actively enforce the new law.
“This is about safety and respect for our neighbors,” Councilmember Rita Xavier said. “We can celebrate responsibly, but fireworks have no place in San Pablo.”
