Long Beach could allow legal fireworks to be sold and used for the Fourth of July, in an effort to reduce illegal fireworks and injuries related to the pyrotechnics — as well as to provide a new way for local nonprofits to raise money.

The City Council directed staffers, including the Police and Fire departments, to look into and report back on how allowing the sale and use of legal fireworks would impact Long Beach, and address other concerns brought up during this week’s meeting. An ordinance would have to be drafted and approved if the council were to move forward with this.

With one of Long Beach’s major fundraising events potentially sunsetting – Big Bang on the Bay – because of various environmental hurdles, councilmembers said they are also looking for other ways to help local nonprofits raise funds.

“I do think that this is an important issue, and as councilmembers, I think we can acknowledge that there is a need to reevaluate our current firework enforcement strategy,” Councilmember Cindy Allen said. “I think the proposal today is good as it dedicates dollars for education and enforcement issues, and dollars that it would provide for the nonprofits and so many other community events.”

The proposed ordinance would include a 7% fee on the sale of fireworks for funding a robust, education and enforcement plan centering around dangerous fireworks, and 4% of post-cost revenue would be designated to the Nonprofit Partnership to support grants for Long Beach community needs, according to the staff report.

It would also include a selection process through which nonprofits can apply for permits to operate stands that would be spread across the city, except in the coastal zone. The proposed number of stands is currently 10, but that may change after city staffers research how many comparable cities have, said City Manager Tom Modica. A lottery would be utilized if there are more than 10 nonprofits that apply and qualify.

Numerous California cities have demonstrated success in reducing illegal fireworks by legalizing and regulating the sale of “safe and sane” fireworks, according to the staff report. Recently, the cities of Orange and Los Alamitos have allowed legal fireworks and reported a reduction in illegal fireworks emergency calls. In Los Alamitos, it was reported that there was a 50% reduction year over year.

Other surrounding cities that permit “safe and sane” fireworks include Bellflower, Compton, Downey, Hawaiian Gardens, Hawthorne, Lakewood and Lynwood, among others.

Long Beach, meanwhile, continues looking for ways to decrease fireworks activity in the city. And through the 2021 adoption of its enhanced fireworks ordinance, Long Beach has expanded the scope of liability and penalties associated with this illegal activity. This year, Long Beach received 646 fireworks-related reports on Independence Day, a 4% decrease compared to 2024, according to a press release.

Since establishing the Interdepartmental Fireworks Working Group and associated Fireworks Action Plan in 2020 – a comprehensive citywide approach to address the increase of fireworks activity in Long Beach – fireworks-related calls have fallen from an annual peak of 8,882 in 2020 to 2,196 in 2024, a 75% decrease and the first year to drop below levels established in 2019.

Illegal fireworks pose significant safety risks, including fires, injuries and noise pollution, according to the staff report. But legal fireworks can also cause just as much harm, fire Chief Dennis Buchanan said during the Tuesday, Oct. 7, council meeting.

“Legal fireworks still carry significant risk to personal injuries and property damage,” he said. “It has a significant impact on public safety – the serious medical injuries that come from fireworks, air pollution and noise disturbance.”

The L.A. County Fire Department reported last year that 90% of firework-related injuries were from legal fireworks, Buchanan said.

For LBPS, Chief Wally Hebeish said, there would be concerns regarding workload, expectations and capacity to be able to regulate both legal and illegal fireworks.

Some councilmembers also raised similar concerns about enforcement, as well as an increase in injuries, staffing impact, whether revenue would cover the costs, and trash left behind by fireworks. They also raised concerns about the selection process and who would pick the nonprofits that would be able to participate.

Local nonprofits would operate the retail locations and receive the profits from sales, according to the staff report.

The revenue generated by these nonprofits would provide economic and community benefits at a time when local organizations face severe funding shortages because of recent federal changes, officials said. Nonprofits have increasingly filled gaps in the social safety net, and now more than ever, they need opportunities to maintain service levels, official said.

Big Bang on the Bay, the popular fundraising event that takes place annually on the eve of July 4, will not have a fireworks show in 2026 because of a decision by the California Coastal Commission earlier this year saying 2025 would be the last time it allows fireworks over Alamtios Bay. That’s one of the reasons councilmembers are looking for different ways to support the nonprofits the event normally raises hundreds of dollars for.

“That was one of the reasons why I supported it,” Councilmember Roberto Uranga said about supporting the Big Bang on the Bay during his time on the Coastal Commission, “because it provided nonprofits an opportunity to raise money. That has now been taken away; that’s no longer available in Long Beach.”

But, some councilmembers weren’t for the idea of making fireworks legal again in Long Beach – even if it would help nonprofits raise money.

“I can’t advocate for a nonprofit raising money based on the sale of something that could be harmful to our public,” Councilmember Kristina Duggan said.

The passage of Assembly Bill 1403 in 2023 also empowers cities to recover costs associated with enforcing dangerous fireworks incidents and regulating safe and sane fireworks. By requiring permit holders to contribute a fee based on a pro rata share of their gross sales, not exceeding 7%, Long Beach could fund public education campaigns to promote safe usage and highlight the dangers of illegal fireworks; enforcement efforts such as extra personnel and cleanup and fire suppression; and the processing, issuing and inspection of permits to ensure compliance.

“The thing that interests me the most about this item is the possibility of having more resources to combat illegal fireworks,” Zendejas said. “This has been a huge issue in my district and my residents have continuously asked for more aggressive measures for enforcement.”

The Long Beach City Council, with a 6-2 vote, directed staffers to create a report with recommendations within 60 days. Councilmembers Kristina Duggan and Daryl Supernaw were the opposing votes on the item.