Simi Valley will not adopt a new ordinance that could hold property owners responsible for illegal fireworks, despite a Ventura County Civil Grand Jury recommendation urging the city to do so.
City officials say the additional civil penalties are unnecessary while pointing to a sharp decline in fireworks complaints in Simi Valley since 2023.
The Simi Valley City Council voted unanimously Aug. 19 to approve the city’s response to the 2025-26 Ventura County Civil Grand Jury report on public complaints about fireworks and authorized Mayor Dee Dee Cavanaugh to submit it to Ventura County Superior Court.
The Grand Jury issued its report June 23 after examining how cities and law enforcement agencies across Ventura County respond to fireworks complaints.
It recommended that Simi Valley, Moorpark, Camarillo, Ojai and Thousand Oaks develop host-liability ordinances if they do not already have them. Such ordinances can hold property owners, tenants or people hosting gatherings responsible when illegal fireworks are discharged from their property and impose civil fines.
Simi Valley considered a similar ordinance in 2022. The proposal would have prohibited the possession, sale and discharge of fireworks and included a social host-liability provision, but the City Council declined to introduce it.
Instead, the council determined the Simi Valley Police Department should focus on dangerous fireworks violations and use existing criminal citations as its primary enforcement mechanism.
“The (council) did not believe that creating an additional layer of civil penalties directed at social hosts was necessary to address the illegal use of fireworks,” the city said in its response.
Simi Valley also disagreed with the Grand Jury’s finding that fireworks complaints had not decreased despite public education efforts by law enforcement, the fire department and District Attorney’s Office.
The city recorded 535 fireworks complaints in June and July 2023. That number fell to 337 during the same period in 2024 and 333 in 2025, according to the city’s response.
The Grand Jury described fireworks as a continuing public safety concern, citing noise, fire danger, frightened or lost pets and effects on people with post-traumatic stress disorder.
From 2023 through 2025, the Ventura County Fire Department responded to 107 fire calls in which fireworks were a contributing factor, according to the report. A June 2024 fire in Simi Valley started by fireworks burned nearly five acres and required 11 fire trucks, two helicopters and a bulldozer.
The report noted that fireworks complaints can be difficult to investigate. Though drones provide a new tool, the activity may have stopped before officers arrive, those responsible may have left, or callers may lack enough information to identify where the fireworks were discharged.
Simi Valley Police Chief Steve Shorts said the department has 10 drones as of 2026, all with GPS capability; seven also have thermal imaging. The department has no pending requests or plans to add drones in 2027, Shorts said.
Simi Valley agreed with the Grand Jury’s recommendation for greater coordination among agencies. The city supports regular meetings between the Ventura County Fire Department and Ventura County Law Enforcement Coordinating Committee to develop best practices for responding to fireworks complaints and enforcing regulations.
The city’s response is similar to neighboring Thousand Oaks but differs from Moorpark, where officials are researching a host-liability ordinance.
Moorpark officials said the city and Ventura County Sheriff ‘s Office began researching an ordinance in early 2026 and drafted a proposal in April. It is awaiting city attorney review and could return to the City Council in fall 2026.
The Grand Jury also recommended host-liability ordinances for Moorpark, Ojai, Camarillo and Thousand Oaks.
Dangerous fireworks, including rockets, Roman candles and firecrackers, are prohibited statewide. Local governments can allow “safe and sane” fireworks that meet state standards and impose additional restrictions.
Fillmore is the only Ventura County city that allows the sale and discharge of “safe and sane” fireworks, though sales are limited to specified dates. Fireworks are otherwise prohibited throughout the county. Oxnard, Port Hueneme, Santa Paula and Ventura have host-liability ordinances.
Original Source: Simi Valley Acorn
