CAL FIRE - Office Of The State Fire Marshal Mandated By Health And Safety Code To Report Seized Fireworks And Their Disposal Process

Health and Safety Code mandates the CAL FIRE - Office of the State Fire Marshal (CAL FIRE - OSFM) responsibility for the destruction of dangerous and illegal fireworks, once they are seized by local fire departments or law enforcement agencies.

The Office and the Administration are working with the legislature on a solution that would provide funding for fireworks enforcement, education, and disposal.

The CAL FIRE - OSFM will provide updated information, once the proposal is chaptered into law

The CAL FIRE-Office of the State Fire Marshal encourages everybody’s support in this collaborative effort. The CAL FIRE - OSFM will provide updated information, once the proposal is chaptered into law.

Reporting seizure of illegal fireworks

The following procedures shall be followed for reporting the seizure of dangerous and illegal fireworks:

• Submit a fireworks seizure report (attached) to OSFM via email to fwx@fire.ca.gov.
• Fireworks shall be held in trust until the agency is notified that disposal is available. An OSFM representative will contact you to schedule a date/time to collect the fireworks.
• Only seized commercial fireworks with the Department of Transportation (DOT) classification of 1.4 will be accepted.
• ‘Safe and Sane’ fireworks, friction initiated fireworks (Snap Caps, Party Poppers, etc.), and 1.3 public display aerial shells, and dangerous/illegal fireworks must be separated.
• Leave fireworks in the original DOT shipping boxes, do not re-package in another box.

Placing loose fireworks in secure boxes

Loose fireworks shall be placed in quality cardboard boxes, such as banker boxes, photocopy paper boxes, or similar size moving boxes with functional lids. (Note: Fireworks will not be accepted if they are loose, in bags, or in boxes that are falling apart.)

• The boxes shall be labeled with the following information: Type of fireworks, agency name, name of the person responsible for the sorting, and date of collection.
• It is recommended that fireworks are stored in storage buildings, trailers, semi-trailers, metal shipping containers, or magazines. Storage areas should be maintained in a neat and orderly manner in accordance with local policies and procedures. Fireworks should not be stored in occupied buildings, work spaces, utility rooms, or near incompatible materials.
• The following items are not the responsibility of the OSFM and will not be collected -Explosive devices or ammunition (Call your local bomb squad immediately), any fireworks and/or aerial shells classified as DOT 1.3 or greater, home-made fireworks, chemicals, loose pyrotechnic powders, black powder and smokeless powered, fuzees, flares, electric matches, and blasting caps, non-fireworks related evidence or contraband (weapons, drugs, paraphernalia, etc.), damaged or wet fireworks, and lighters, matches, trash including expended fireworks.

For more information regarding the CAL FIRE - OSFM Fireworks Program, interested parties can visit the official webpage on the CAL FIRE - OSFM website.