The Honorable Gavin Newsom
Governor of California
1021 O Street, Suite 9000
Sacramento, CA 95814
Dear Governor Newsom,
As Mayor, and the undersigned Councilmembers, on behalf of the City Council of Richmond, we write to join with other municipalities across the state in urging you to authorize the State Fire Marshal and California Attorney General to immediately begin formal discussions with the State of Nevada to address the illegal fireworks crisis. With July 4
th fast approaching, this matter requires
urgent, coordinated, and sustained action.
We were especially encouraged by your statement last year reaffirming California’s “zero tolerance” policy toward illegal fireworks. You rightly noted that over 600,000 pounds of illegal fireworks had already been seized last year — a staggering figure that dwarfs previous annual totals. But as our local enforcement professionals know too well, those seizures only scratch the surface of a much larger trafficking operation.
The reality is this: for too long, California communities have been left to fight an interstate public safety crisis with only local tools. Despite municipal ordinances, cities like Richmond are overwhelmed each summer and increasingly year round by the volume and impact of illegal fireworks — many of which have been traced to commercial retailers in Pahrump and northwest Nevada, who knowingly sell to California residents who in turn bring those illegal fireworks into California in direct violation of our state’s laws.
We are working to strengthen local efforts, and we need your help. The Richmond City Council strongly supports establishing a joint task force comprised of fire and law enforcement agencies from California and Nevada to collaboratively address the issue of illegal fireworks, as well as to negotiate an interstate compact with Nevada to better control the flow of illegal fireworks into California.
This proposal is grounded in data, has been publicly endorsed by the Fireworks Advisory Committee to the State Fire Marshal, and aligns precisely with your public commitment to fire prevention and public safety.
We believe it offers the most practical and scalable way to disrupt illegal supply chains before they reach our neighborhoods — not merely react to the damage after it occurs.
We are proud to stand with cities like Sacramento, Rancho Cordova, Roseville, Grand Terrace, Citrus Heights, Suisun City, and many others which have all sent letters urging this action.
We urge you to authorize the State Fire Marshal and California Attorney General to take immediate steps to form the proposed Joint Illegal Fireworks Task Force and initiate formal negotiations with Nevada for an interstate compact to finally rein in this problem at its source.
We stand ready to assist in any way necessary to move this process forward.
Thank you for your continued leadership and your unwavering commitment to the safety and well-being of all Californians.