People traveling from the San Joaquin Valley to the central coast may not be allowed to use fireworks for the Fourth of July.
Many areas of San Luis Obispo County now prohibit all fireworks, including “safe and sane” ones.
The big picture: The San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors recently adopted a new ordinance to enforce stricter penalties for people using fireworks.
- Per the ordinance, all unincorporated areas are prohibited from using unpermitted fireworks.
- That includes the communities of Oceano, Cayucos, Nipomo, Avila Beach, Shandon, Creston and Santa Margarita.
- Safe and sane fireworks used to be allowed in Oceano, but the Oceano Community Services District divested from fire service this year, meaning the county’s fire codes and ordinances now apply.
Go deeper: People will face $1,000 fines per violation for any illegal fireworks activity. People who allow fireworks to be used on their property will also be fined.
- The ordinance states that each discharge is a separate offense.
- Violators may also be charged for response costs, such as firefighting, law enforcement and medical response services.
- There are also criminal penalties in place, including $2,000 fines for possession or use of dangerous fireworks and felony charges for possessing over 500 pounds of fireworks.
What they’re saying: “This ordinance was created to follow the mandate of our safety professionals at County Fire due to the increased risk of fires,” said board chair Dawn Ortiz-Legg. “At their request, the County has taken this difficult but critical step in safeguarding our communities.”
