San Luis Obispo County introduced an updated fireworks ordinance that tightens enforcement around people hosting and knowingly attending events that use illegal and unpermitted fireworks.
But some Oceano residents and South County representative 4th District Supervisor Jimmy Paulding are concerned that the newly proposed rules and existing county regulations that only recently took effect for the area will change long-standing Fourth of July traditions and impact fundraising opportunities for nonprofits and church groups in the South County town.
“We have been selling fireworks in Oceano for over 20 years,” Central Coast Worship Center pastor Greg Noe said. “The sales helped us with food ministry. We provide 1,000 meals and 1,000 pounds of groceries to the public every year.”
Fireworks are regulated at both the state and county levels. California regulations prohibit the sale and use of all fireworks except safe and sane ones and permitted displays. SLO County adopted the state rules and added an amendment to ban safe and sane fireworks, too. These are fireworks tested and approved by the state fire marshal.
But state law allows community services districts that provide fire services to adopt ordinances that regulate or prohibit fireworks within those regions. While the county code prohibits use of safe and sane fireworks throughout the county fire jurisdiction, it carved out exceptions for community services districts that have fire responsibilities.
Under the care of the Oceano Community Services District (OCSD), groups like Central Coast Worship Center have long enjoyed that privilege for its weeklong fireworks sales prior to Fourth of July.
But the OCSD’s divesture from fire service responsibility—now assumed by the county through a contract with the Five Cities Fire Authority—changes the process of selling and using fireworks in Oceano.
“The [state] code also states that where the city or county in which the special district lies has adopted an ordinance related to the fireworks, the city or county ordinance will supersede the special district ordinance,” SLO County Administrative Analyst Mia Trevelyan said at the May 6 Board of Supervisors meeting.
Currently, San Miguel and Templeton community services districts and Morro Bay, Arroyo Grande, and Grover Beach have adopted ordinances to allow for the use of safe and sane fireworks. Trevelyan told New Times that permits are only issued for public professional firework displays, which must be licensed by the Office of the State Fire Marshall and permitted through Cal Fire.
Supervisors unanimously approved bulking up the county fireworks ordinance with enforcement actions like charging administrative fines of $1,000 per violation. The update also includes a provision for the recovery of response costs from anyone flouting the rules, like costs to repair equipment and dispose seized fireworks and medical treatment expenses for enforcement officer injuries.
The proposed ordinance also holds hosts of social gatherings, knowing spectators of firework shows, and parents/guardians of minors accountable if they violate the fireworks code.
While supervisors unanimously approved introducing the ordinance, Paulding echoed some South County residents’ requests to exempt Oceano from the prohibition.
“I understand the general need to focus on fire prevention efforts, and I think illegal fireworks are certainly a major risk,” said Paulding, who’s also a member of the county Fireworks Ad Hoc Committee. “But in terms of the South County tradition of families coming together and using sparklers and whatever else qualifies as safe and sane, I’d like to maintain that tradition.”
First District Supervisor John Peschong supported excluding Oceano from the ban.
“They’ve been doing it for years, it’s not something they just started,” he said. “I have two communities that have safe and sane fireworks, there’s not a lot of fires started with those. It’s the illegal stuff that starts the fires.”
The other supervisors—including fellow Fireworks Ad Hoc Committee member and 2nd District Supervisor Bruce Gibson—rejected the idea. They said that the threat of illegal fireworks-related accidents was too large, and that exempting Oceano from enforcement wouldn’t be fair on other communities.
Paulding added that he’s ready for more discussion when the item comes back before the board on May 20. Oceano’s Pastor Noe is already working on a petition to show support for an Oceano exemption, which he plans to present that day.
“The overarching issue is people should be free to celebrate Fourth of July with legal safe and sane fireworks,” he told New Times. “We can benefit by being funded by the county to provide hot meals and groceries.” Δ
This article appears in May 15-25, 2025.
Please for the love of god start enforcing the law. This whole city will burn and I’m tired of having ptsd panic attacks every night at 10pm when someone decides it’s time to blow up an illegal firework that shakes my whole house. I’ve had to take actual days off of work to recover from these ptsd panic attacks. It sounds like bombs and gun shots going off
It kind of seems like Oceano should have maybe held on to their own fire authority so they could set their own rules about what is safe for their own community.
I find it very unprofessional to misconstrue the actual facts. The article is extremely misleading and indicates the issue is illegal fireworks. Although the illegal fireworks are a huge problem in Oceano, the issue we are discussing is the legal “safe and sane” fireworks. Let’s be clear, anyone who wants to purchase safe and sane fireworks will do so in Grover and AG, thus providing the benefits of fundraising to other communities. Not only are the fundraising benefits an issue, but the lack of sells by nonprofits of safe and sane fireworks could push people into purchasing illegal fireworks, and we have enough of that going on already. We also are taking away a tradition that families enjoy, goes hand in hand with bbqing and getting together. Yes we lost our fire services, however we are still contracted with five cities fire authority for fire services so we technically have them. I’d also like to mention that we have never had a fire or emergency from safe and sane fireworks. Can anyone please point out how taking legal safe and sane fireworks is necessary??? I’d love to see the county do something to fix the illegal fireworks issue but this isn’t it.
It’s part of the culture. What’s next? taking away all the tacos?
https://luzmedia.co/4th-of-july/
The policy’s critics (who want fireworks) minimize the impacts of the “safe and sane” variety. Creating the vision of a “Leave it to Beaver” family bbqing in the back yard while the kids play with sparklers, colored smokers, and black snakes is generally a myth. Now a days “safe and sane” includes $500 packages contain very sophisticated incendiary devices that shoot 10 ‘ into the air with multiple explosions of toxic metal oxide colored “bombs.” Many of these mimic automatic gunfire which is extremely loud and scary for animals and humans. I don’t agree that setting off fireworks is a significant or fundamental “freedom.” An individual’s “freedom” to terrify neighborhood animals, trigger PTSD reactions in veterans and other victims of trauma, disturb neighborhood leep patterns, and start building or vegetation fires is no longer legal in Oceano and I hope it stays that way. For local non-profit agencies who sell the fireworks, I suggest they approach the many businesses in Oceano (who make very large profits in the community) to support their endeavors.
Oh wow! Who couldve seen this coming? Sadly, another classic case of unintended consequences after that guy Chuck Varni (he got kicked off the Board in November) led the fight against the districts fire suppression tax. You know, the tax that literally would have kept the fire department running. Genius move. And, surprise surprise, he was endorsed by Jimmy. Great team effort there.
So yeah, maybe send those two a thank-you card. Without that added revenue, O-Town just couldnt chip in their fair share for fire service, and asked the County for help, and guess what? The County helped… and now they have to follow the Countys rules. Shocking, right? Total bummer. Who knew decisions had consequences? Hate to nag, but please get that thank you card to Varni and Jimmy in the mail today!
Some of us believe it’s a very harmful tradition. Some of us believe we shouldn’t have to put up with the noise, smell, debris, and fire risk that inevitably result from night after night of cheap thrills. Some of us are forced to flee our homes for the night to avoid the worst of it. Find another way to fund your charity. This one is a pact with the devil.
Here is Supervisor Gibson’s opinion on the Oceano fireworks issue (from his newsletter)
Upping the effort against illegal fireworks.
Item 18 introduced ordinance amendments that strengthen the penalties and enforcement for discharging illegal fireworks. The adoption hearing is set for May 20.
Supervisors Paulding and Peschong were open to an exemption that would allow the continued sale and use of “safe and sane” fireworks in Oceano. With fire protection recently moving from the Oceano CSD to County Fire, the community falls under the existing ban on those sales. Sups. Heather Moreno and Dawn Ortiz-Legg agreed with me that a consistent ban made sense, based on safety concerns expressed by our fire protection professionals.
The nuisance and safety hazard of illegal explosives being set off on July 4 (and other holidays) has long plagued communities in District 2 (our beaches from San Simeon to Los Osos) and elsewhere in the county. Getting offenders cited and penalized has been an ongoing challenge.
I was pleased to work with District 4 Sup. Jimmy Paulding, County Fire and other county staff on the improvements to the fireworks ordinance, which include:
maximizing penalties ($1,000 per each discharge),
making “social hosts” (i.e., property owners) and spectators subject to being cited and fined, and
assigning the enforcement and penalty process to our Planning Dept. and a hearing officer, respectively.
These proposed amendments are a first step in making real progress on this problem. We are also exploring increased and timely law enforcement presence and selected-site drone technology as means of responding to – and ultimately deterring – these offenses.
I believe this is another way that proves California is the most push over state, we can’t do anything about people stealing so we just let the bust in to stores with no consequences, you try that in Texas they shoot you, and know the fireworks, I have lived in Oceano for for 36 years, I’ve experienced the fireworks every year and not one time in my whole 36 years has a fire been started from a firework, so to the people complaining about the noise, the smell, the scared for my life, get the hell out of my town, because you weren’t born here and you don’t belong here why don’t you move to Utah they are a nice and quiet people, and then you could leave our culture alone and allow us to celebrate our country’s birthday.
I second this motion!
I believe this is another way that proves California is the most push over state, we can’t do anything about people stealing so we just let the bust in to stores with no consequences, you try that in Texas they shoot you, and know the fireworks, I have lived in Oceano for for 36 years, I’ve experienced the fireworks every year and not one time in my whole 36 years has a fire been started from a firework, so to the people complaining about the noise, the smell, the scared for my life, get the hell out of my town, because you weren’t born here and you don’t belong here why don’t you move to Utah they are a nice and quiet people, and then you could leave our culture alone and allow us to celebrate our country’s birthday
And for Pete sake stop mixing the legal fireworks in with the illegal fireworks. If anything the last 30 years has proven that the original ban on fun fireworks was a farce and did nothing to help our communities. Similar to our state gun laws you are punishing the law abiding citizens by banning safe and sane fireworks.
Let’s talk about the need for new laws governing our privacy rights. The drone cameras of today have high powered cameras and are operating with outdated laws. There is no expectation of privacy above a certain elevation but these cameras can see into our homes with high powered magnification which I believe is circumventing the law. So if you get a ticket from a drone challenge it and it’s right to zoom in on your home violating your expectation of privacy.
FREEDOOMMM!