Tustin, CA Fire Regulations: Fireworks (2026)

Tustin City Code § 8104 amends the 2025 California Fire Code to add Section 5608.2, which requires that all fireworks displays, no matter the mortar, device or shell size involved, be electrically fired rather than hand-lit. This closes off the more improvised manual-ignition methods some smaller operators might otherwise use and standardizes the firing method OCFA inspects for at every permitted show in the city. Section 5608.3 then sets the paperwork bar for the permit application itself: the applicant must submit a diagram of the grounds where the display will be held, showing the exact point from which the fireworks will be discharged, the calculated fallout area based on 100 feet of clearance per inch of shell size, the location of every building, road and other means of transportation nearby, the line behind which the audience will be restrained, and the location of any nearby trees, telegraph or telephone lines, or other overhead obstructions.

All of this documentation goes to OCFA, which reviews it as the agency with fire code jurisdiction over the display. Because the fallout radius scales directly with shell size, a display using larger mortars must show a correspondingly larger buffer between the firing point and both the crowd line and any structures or overhead lines, giving OCFA an objective basis to approve, condition or deny the site plan before granting a permit.