In the midst of a drought and an elevated risk of wildfires, Bay Area officials urged the public to avoid setting off fireworks this year.

With the Fourth of July weekend approaching in the midst of a punishing drought and a pivotal moment in California’s wildfire season, fire officials across the Bay Area were once again pleading with the public to choose ways to celebrate that don’t include fireworks, firecrackers, or put simply — playing with fire in any way.

This summer was already anticipated to be one of the “cruelest” ones for California, with extraordinarily dry and warm weather conditions that have the state heading toward blackouts, wildfires, smoke, increasing water restrictions and blazing heat waves, The Chronicle reported this month.

“The fuel, the brush, and the grass is all very dry and receptive,” said Cal Fire Battalion Chief Jon Heggie, adding that numerous fires are started by illegal fireworks every year. “So what may be good intentions of setting fireworks in celebration could have devastating effects.”

Last year, authorities promised to crack down on the use of illegal fireworks by issuing a “zero-tolerance policy” in counties where fireworks were already illegal, The Chronicle reported. This year, authorities were expected to do the same.

Heggie said Cal Fire departments were coordinating with local, state and federal agencies to create task forces intended to prevent the use of illegal fireworks. Anyone caught with illegal fireworks could be fined up to $50,000 and sent to jail for up to one year, according to Cal Fire.

More than 19,500 reported fires are started by fireworks annually, according to the National Fire Protection Association. Burns account for 44% of the 9,100 injuries treated in the emergency rooms seen in the month around July 4 — and children ages 10-14 had the highest rate of fireworks injuries, according to data from the organization.

Sparklers also account for roughly one-quarter of emergency room fireworks injury, the NFPA said.

In San Francisco and Santa Clara County, fire officials urged residents to eschew fireworks this year, citing the mounting danger of fires and reminding property owners that they are responsible for the illegal use of fireworks on their properties.

San Francisco will have its usual Fourth of July fireworks light show along the waterfront.

In a press release, San Jose Fire Chief Robert Sapien Jr. said San Jose has experienced nearly 90 fireworks-related fires over the last two Independence Day holidays, each of which caused property and environmental damage.

“Leave it to the professionals and watch the show at Great America after spending the day picnicking at Central Park!” said Chief Ruben Torres of the Santa Clara Fire Department.

In cities that have authorized the sale of “Safe & Sane” fireworks, police and fire departments are still urging residents to follow the rules over the holiday weekend.

In San Bruno, which authorized the sale of “safe and sane” fireworks in 2005, fireworks can be discharged only during certain hours over the holiday weekend, cannot be used on another person’s private property (without written consent), and are prohibited in public lots, city streets, parks, open space and other public property.

Those who use illegal fireworks or use them improperly can be fined up to $1,000, according to city officials.

In regions like Lake Tahoe, officials are taking a slightly different approach — by switching out fireworks for drones.

After a two-year hiatus on fireworks, officials in Tahoe City announced an “eco-friendly” show that includes an aerial drone light show, with more than 100 drones taking the air directly over Lake Tahoe.

The Tahoe City show will take place on July 4 from 8-10 p.m. over Commons Beach — and will be an alternative to the yearly risk of fire and environmental pollution, plus noise pollution for domestic pets and wildlife, planning officials said.

Another light show in North Lake Tahoe is planned for the Kings Beach State Recreation area on Sunday from 7-10 p.m.

“The past few years of wildfire and smoke impacts on the region and fire safety in general are on the forefront for the entire Lake Tahoe Basin, and we feel that a shift away from fireworks will support the region’s focus on these issues, as well as minimize the chance of accidentally causing a forest fire within the basin and in our district,” officials said in a press release.

Annie Vainshtein (she/her) is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: avainshtein@sfchronicle.com. Twitter: @annievain

Annie is a reporter for The San Francisco Chronicle. She previously was a digital producer for The Chronicle's Datebook section. She graduated from Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo in 2017 with a degree in journalism. During her time there, she spearheaded a culture column, produced radio pieces for NPR-affiliate station KCBX, and was a DJ and writer for KCPR, the campus radio station. Before joining the Chronicle, she was an associate producer at SFGATE and interned at VICE and Flood Magazine. She's particularly interested in communities and scenes that are often misunderstood.