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Fireworks Policy in Orange County In 2020, 10 Orange County cities permitted the sale of safe and sane fireworks for a total of 208 retail consumer fireworks stands throughout the County. city Quantity Anaheim 16 Buena Park 21 Costa Mesa 30 Fullerton 15 Garden Grove 29 Huntington Beach 15 Santa Ana 62 Stanton 2 Villa Park 3 Westminster 15 Total 208 Pandemic lockdowns and social distancing put a damper on many public celebratory traditions this year. With various new safety measures in place, sales of "Safe and Sane" fireworks skyrocketed as most Orange County professional displays went dark. With most local businesses, restaurants, attractions, and public beaches closed this year, the pandemic did help Orange County residents to become more creative in finding new ways to celebrate with drive -through and virtual gatherings. While most professional displays were cancelled due to COVID-19, Orange County had no shortage of bootleg firework shows. The large number of unsanctioned fireworks combined with unfavorable weather conditions resulted in the worst air quality that Southern California has seen for the Independence Day holiday in over a decade. Orange County Sheriff's Department reported that illegal fireworks calls were up nearly 300% across Orange County compared to the holiday statistics from last year. With the pandemic restrictions in place, many residents may have tried to recreate their own fireworks celebrations at home, which led to the influx of fireworks -related emergency calls. Newport Beach reported over 330 fireworks -related complaints registered to code enforcement and police this year. Orange City reported 353 fireworks -related calls this year. The city of Fullerton had a surge in the use of illegal fireworks for 2 months leading up to the Independence Day holiday. As of July 3, 2020, the Fullerton Police Department issued at least 17 citations for the use of illegal fireworks. 5