Those illegal fireworks bursting in air the past few days came at a price — $45,000.

Thirty people cited via the administrative law process by Manteca Police will face a $1,500 bill that includes a $1,000 fine and the ability to tag on an additional $500 for the city to recover enforcement costs.

Other takeouts from the four-day Fourth of Jully holiday.

*Manteca Fire responded to 17 fires started by legal and illegal fireworks.

*An individual was severely injured when a firework exploded in his face causing serve trauma.

*93 warnings were issued for illegal fireworks in instances where there was no direct observation.

*Officers and firefighters said the largest concentration of illegal fireworks was south of the 120 Bypass.

*74 checks for illegal fireworks were due to citizens using the Nail ‘Em app.

*363 notification of illegal fireworks use were reported on the Fourth of July via the Nail ‘Em App.

*Two criminal citations were issued.

In a joint statement, Police Chief Steve Schluer and Fire Chief Marques noted, “This was the first time that fire and police have worked so closely to jointly attack the problem of illegal fireworks.”

“Over the last decade widespread use of illegal fireworks has drastically increased, bringing with it more fires, injuries and noise complaints. .  .  Further study of this year’s procedures will be used to improve our response next year.”

And while the 30 citations are triple the 10 issued last year, there is a good chance the number of $1,500 hits will= be significantly higher when Fourth of July rolls around next year.

That’s because almost 30 percent of the citations were made in short order on the Fourth of July due to police deploying a drone.

Instead of trying to follow reports of where illegal fireworks were being launched, the use of the drone allowed one police patrol unit to have advance intel on areas below where people were preparing to set off illegal fireworks.

As such, officers were directed to the location before the fireworks were either launched or after they were launched.

And even though more than one party tried to say they weren’t using illegal fireworks, when they were played back the video footage of them preparing to shoot them off and the doing so, they conceded it was indeed them.

Mayor Gary Singh, who rode around with Manteca Police Lt. Mitch Ellis who was assigned to enforcing the illegal fireworks law, noted officers were essentially rolling up on locations after they had been launched. As such, in most cases, they had no eyeball or footage  of illegal fireworks being used, meaning no citation could be issued.

“They have to be going off almost constantly when you get a  report,” Singh said, for officers to be able to arrive and catch people in the act.

The use of the drone led to 7 of the citations that were issued over a five-day period.

Singh said he has already asked the police department to research the cost of another drone — with even better video capabilities.

The mayor would like to use part of the $700,000 he has been allocated to pay toward city projects in one-time federal COVID relief funds to purchase such a drone.

 That way, clear footage with the appropriate time dating could be used by officers operating the drone remotely to cite property owners without having to roll up in a patrol unit and see it first hand before a citation can be issued.

Such a drone would also have use year round helping Manteca Fire in search and rescue operations as well as battle grass and structure fires more effective, according to Marques.

This year also marked another first for Manteca.

The entire command staff of the police and fire department were on the streets looking for illegal fireworks. That is in addition to three additional police officers assigned exclusively to illegal fireworks as well as three fire prevention officers.

Not only was Singh the first mayor to ride along to observe illegal fireworks patrols but it was also a first for a city manager and well as council  members. City Manager Toni Lundgren was able to see what public safety were up against firsthand trying to cite illegal fireworks use along with council members Mike Morowit and Jose Nuno.

“While we were certainly busy, the general consensus is that this year was quieter than the previous few years,” Marques noted.

To contact Dennis Wyatt, email dwyatt@mantecabulletin.com