SAN FRANCISCO (KRON) -- A video shows hundreds of illegal fireworks being set off on San Francisco's Ocean Beach around 10:30 p.m. on Saturday.
In the video, it seems like multiple fireworks are being set off simultaneously. The video is around two minutes long, and the fireworks can be seen exploding nonstop.
Onlookers can be seen watching, seemingly shocked by the volume of the fireworks.
Commenters on the video posted to social media seem upset with the display, one person saying, "Heard this last night from 20 blocks away. I think my dog is still shaking," said @mrjoeyo.
“It terrified me,” said Sunset District resident Sharon. “It sounded like someone was directly outside my window. That sound when they do those fireworks that go shh, you know, it makes that sound. It sounded like it was right in my backyard, and then you could hear all the blasting,” she said.
“I've never seen so many fireworks go off all at once like that, and it was kind of nonstop for two minutes,” said Rebecca Cuddihy, who was attending a bonfire on the beach across from the Beach Chalet.
Cuddihy said there were fireworks off and on for a couple of hours, but at 10:30 she has never seen so many go off at once. That’s when she started filming.
“I was sort of joking around online that they set off a million dollars worth of fireworks, and they let me know that it's closer to maybe $2,000,” Cuddihy said.
San Francisco takes action against illegal fireworks in new crackdown
All fireworks, including those labeled “safe and sane,” are already prohibited in San Francisco.
A new ordinance was approved in 2026 that created new penalties for those setting off fireworks in the city.
The first violation of the city’s fireworks ban could result in a fine of up to 250 dollars. A second violation committed within five years carries a fine of up to $750, six months in jail, or both penalties.
San Francisco police said the beach itself and the adjoining parking lot come under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Park Police, who didn’t respond to KRON4’s calls for comment. But San Francisco police said they work hand in hand with the U.S. Park Police to stop those from breaking the law, whether on the beach or not.
