Fireworks off the pier in Cayucos, 2026. Photo by Danna Dykstra-Coy
The Fourth of July Holiday saw a mostly peaceful celebration in San Luis Obispo County, but the Sheriff’s Department and Cal Fire were busy dealing with complaints about fireworks.
Cal Fire, in a news release after the celebration, said their increased enforcement efforts worked well.
“To help reduce the risk of fires, injuries, and other emergencies,” Cal Fire /County Fire said, “we increased staffing and deployed additional specialized response resources throughout San Luis Obispo County.
“All fireworks enforcement actions reported in this release were conducted by Cal Fire Law Enforcement Officers assigned to the Cal Fire San Luis Obispo Unit Prevention Bureau.”
The combined effort to make the holiday safe included cooperation with law enforcement agencies and fire departments.
Cal Fire’s law enforcement officers responded to 26 fireworks related calls, the news release said, with 15 coming from the Nipomo and Oceano areas. The officers made 230 public contacts and issued five criminal citations. The force was spread out pretty thin.
“Cal Fire enforcement staffing included four Cal Fire Law Enforcement Officers assigned to Pismo Beach and three Cal Fire Law Enforcement Officers assigned throughout the county,” the release said.
As far as emergency calls went the Cal Fire crew responded to just two fireworks related calls and there were zero significant fires reported. They also stationed a medic squad at the Oceano Dunes and a boat crew was on duty at Lake Nacimiento “to support water-related medical and fire emergencies.”
On the whole, Cal Fire said there were fewer fireworks related calls this year than last year, and no spectacular blazes as happened on 4th of July 2025, when two men threw fireworks onto the roof of the Templeton Feed & Grain igniting a blaze that destroyed the historic building and business.
“This positive outcome,” the release said, “reflects the value of increased prevention and enforcement staffing, enhanced emergency response resources, strong interagency coordination, and the many residents and visitors who chose to celebrate responsibly.”
The Sheriff’s Department was considerably busier.
The Sheriff deployed “maximum staffing” on both Friday, July 3 and Saturday the fourth, Sheriff’s Spokesman Tony Cipolla said in a news release. The department took a zero tolerance approach to enforcing the County fireworks ordinance.
Cipolla said that on just July 4, the Sheriff’s Department got over 1,100 calls for service including 285 calls related to illegal fireworks.
Deputies were busy issuing tickets. Cipolla said they wrote 21 County fireworks violation citations, and five criminal fireworks cases were submitted to the District Attorney’s Office for possible prosecution.
They also used drones to enhance patrols, and 11 locations were identified that will be getting citations in the mail.
They may not be done yet, as Cipolla said they continue to review their drone footage “and additional violations may still be identified.” The fine for violating the County fireworks ordinance is up to $1,000.
Still, the Sheriff’s Department also said it was a quieter holiday this year.
“Overall,” Cipolla said, “the Sheriff’s Office observed fewer illegal fireworks violations than during the 2025 Fourth of July holiday. We believe this improvement is the result of several factors, including the County’s fireworks ordinance, the Sheriff’s Department’s increased enforcement presence, and the many residents and visitors who chose to celebrate responsibly by attending professional fireworks displays instead of using illegal fireworks.”
The Sheriff’s Department worked with a number of resources including Sheriff’s deputies, the Compliance Unit, the Unmanned Aerial Systems Drone Team, the Off-highway Vehicle Team, the Sheriff’s Aero Squadron and Cal Fires’s enforcement people, too.
“All worked together to identify and address illegal fireworks activity throughout the county,” Cipolla said.
The department also thanked the public for “helping make this year’s Fourth of July holiday both safe and enjoyable. By working together, we can continue to reduce the dangers associated with illegal fireworks and protect our communities.”
In Morro Bay the fire department also stepped up its staffing and a spokeswoman said they didn’t have to issue any citations.
The department repeatedly issued news releases leading up to the holiday reminding residents that this year all fireworks were banned in the city.
