City of Orange police officers handed out $240,000 in fines related to the city’s new “social host” ordinance over the July 4 weekend, with city staffers saying the law and Orange’s new safe and sane fireworks program helped curb illegal fireworks activity in parts of town.
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With the help of new city drones deployed over the Fourth of July weekend, Orange officers identified 13 properties where people were violating the social host law, Code Compliance Manager Rafael Perez said in an update to councilmembers this week.
Officers fined eight properties, totaling $240,000. One property on North Elmwood Street received $111,000 in fines.
“It’s based on the amount of fireworks that are discharged,” Perez said. “Through the fine structure, the first offense, the first discharge is $2,000. Second is $4,000 and then every subsequent thereafter is $6,000.”
“What I do want to mention is that every one of those houses was contacted that night. They were given information in English and Spanish to help further deter discharge,” he said.
Social host ordinances, used by several cities including Anaheim, Buena Park and Fullerton, are laws that extend fines to any person considered a “social host” — think property owners, landlords, tenants or anyone who hosts a party where illegal fireworks are planned.
And in Orange, “spectators,” or to clarify, any party guest or someone complicit in the selling and igniting of illegal fireworks, can also be fined thousands of dollars.
Individuals who were fined can appeal in court, Perez said. And “there is a payment plan option for those individuals who cannot essentially pay the fine right off the bat.”
“And then ultimately, our hope is that the fines that are collected as part of this operation will go toward covering our staff costs, as well as a purchase of new drones and other equipment that is absolutely essential in order for us to continue to be successful with these types of operations,” Perez said.
Over the holiday weekend, officers also “had five separate confiscations,” Police Chief Adam Jevec said, “resulting in 35 mortars, 12 Roman candles and firecrackers that were recovered.”
No arrests were made during those confiscations, Jevec said.
Between June 20 and July 4, the Police Department received 368 calls for service related to illegal fireworks activity — an uptick compared to 2025, but fewer calls than 2024, officials said.
“July 4 continues to generate the most total activity, at over 228 calls,” Jevec said, adding “major” incidents that day included a garbage fire on West Palmyra Avenue and a lawn fire on North Morgan Street.
Officers also received fewer calls compared to recent years from the city’s northeast area residents, which includes Orange Park Acres and Peters Canyon, Jevec said.
“The fact that we had 18% of all calls generated in that area is a huge decrease from what we used to see,” he said. Those parts of town are “fire-prone” and “very difficult to patrol.”
“So again, the fact that we only got 18% of calls in that area, and again, a majority of them happening on the Fourth of July,” he said, “is really why we exist to provide that safety and quality of life.”
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