Salinas Fire Department will use drones to monitor this year’s fireworks season.

Independence Day in Salinas typically sounds like a war zone: Fireworks explode for hours. The weekend of the Fourth of July, calls to the Salinas Fire Department usually go up by around 60 percent from normal. Many of those calls are to report illegal fireworks, which begin before the holiday and continue after, but are most common on the day of.

Last year on July 4, the fire and police departments received over 1,100 calls combined. Salinas Fire responded to four vegetation fires and three accidents with fireworks in which people suffered hand mutilation.

This year, at least 12 Salinas firefighters are getting their drone pilot certification in anticipation of monitoring from the air. SFD made an order to purchase drones, but the gear might not arrive on time because of the supply chain issues. (Since Salinas PD already has drones, both departments will work together and expect to use between three and six drones to monitor the city.)

They will focus on areas that traditionally draw higher call volumes. The objective is “to get more eyes on problem areas and try to do a more thorough job of accurately locating where they are being shot off and try to make that stop,” says Skylar Thornton, battalion chief and fire marshal at the Salinas Fire Department.

Some areas that consistently have high complaints include Hartnell College’s main campus; much of North Salinas, especially along Constitution Boulevard; and the intersection of Sanborn Road and Highway 101.

People can light “safe and sane” fireworks for sale from noon on Tuesday, June 28 until 10pm on July 5. Those who use illegal fireworks face minimum fines of $1,250.