The use of illegal fireworks over the Fourth of July holiday in Cayucos has become a growing problem in recent years causing some community members to take action.
"We see an amazing amount of illegal fireworks here and this is our community effort to ask people not to do that,” said Greg Bettencourt with the Cayucos Citizens Advisory Council.
San Luis Obispo County Second District Supervisor Bruce Gibson says, "We're making a special effort this year trying to get our hands around it. We've been working really well with our public safety folks on the scene."
Community members in Cayucos are working with the San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's office, CAL FIRE and State Parks to prevent illegal fireworks from being set off on the Fourth of July.
“It's really about getting public safety officers on the streets and out in the neighborhoods,” Gibson said.
The Cayucos Citizens Advisory Council says postcards with information on the use of illegal fireworks will be sent to all residents and property owners and a visitor letter will be given out to people staying in hotels, motels and managed vacation rentals.
“We've tackled some other issues in Cayucos around the Fourth of July successfully and this one, the level of concern elevated in the last couple of years so we said we need to do something about this,” Bettencourt said.
The use of all fireworks including safe and sane are prohibited in Cayucos along with other places on the Central Coast like San Luis Obispo.
"It affects people, pets, it frightens people," Bettencourt said. “We are going to see increased law enforcement.”
Setting off illegal fireworks could come with a fine of $2,000.
Some fireworks will be set of legally on the end of the Cayucos pier this Fourth of July.
To report the use of illegal fireworks in Cayucos and other unincorporated parts of the county, call the non-emergency dispatch line at (805) 781-7312.
