Petalumans Turn In Nearly 20 Pounds Of Illegal Fireworks

Press release from the Petaluma Police Department and the Petaluma Fire Department:

PETALUMA, CA — Since 2020, the City of Petaluma has prohibited the use of any consumer fireworks. While we understand fireworks are a beloved tradition for many, our top priority is to keep our community members and properties safe. The threat of wildfires, exceedingly dry conditions, high winds and historic drought, plus the dangers of illegal fireworks present too great a risk to our community. Violations are subject to fines of $1,000 or more.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) reports that nationally, fireworks start over 19,000 fires and send over 9,000 people to the emergency room each year in the US. Fireworks-related fires caused over $105 million in direct property damage in 2018 according to the NFPA.
To inspire our community to be a part of the solution, the Petaluma Police Department and Petaluma Fire Department held a “turn-in” event giving Petaluma community members the opportunity to surrender any fireworks they may have left over from previous years with no questions asked.

During this “turn-in” event, nearly 20 pounds of fireworks were collected. Many of the collected
fireworks were aerial fireworks (the type designed to launch into the air) that are illegal
throughout California. These types of fireworks have a high likelihood of starting fires in vegetation and rooftops as well as causing injuries to the user, or others. Many of the people that turned in fireworks stated they had them for a long time and did not know how to properly dispose of them.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to those members of the community that turned in their fireworks, potentially preventing them from being found and used by others, including children. Working with the state Fire Marshal’s office, all fireworks that were turned in will be properly disposed of.

If you missed the event and would like to turn in your fireworks, please contact the Petaluma Fire
Department at 707-778-4390. There will be no fines, citations, or questions for anyone willing to
surrender their fireworks.

To properly dispose of ammunition and gun powder, contact the Sonoma County Sheriff’s Department at 707-565-2650.

This press release was produced by the Petaluma Police Department and the Petaluma Fire Department. The views expressed here are the author's own.