DANA POINT — When fireworks went off around 9:40 p.m. at the Monarch Beach Resort on Tuesday night, Jan. 30, some residents in the surrounding neighborhood panicked. Three called 9-1-1 to report gunfire.

The calls to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department led to deputies being dispatched to areas surrounding the resort. They identified the fireworks as being the source, Sgt. Rich Himmel said.

The fireworks — part of a private 150-person celebration — were permitted by the city to start between 9:30 and 9:45 p.m. and last no more than five minutes. They were heard as far away as Laguna Beach, Laguna Niguel and Capistrano Beach.

The city’s permitting process requires the resort to send letters to surrounding homeowner associations; notifications from the resort were sent out Jan. 24. The Orange County Fire Authority also was notified of the planned event. The city issued the permit on Jan. 29.

“The reason for my letter today is to communicate a private event taking place in our Pacific Ballroom & Promenade whose celebrations include a very brief display of fireworks, which may result in an increased level of sound immediately surrounding the Monarch Beach Resort,” Ian Pullan, general manger of the resort, wrote. “We respect and appreciate our community and neighbors, and in an effort to allow you, and your community residents, time to make any arrangements that may bring comfort to those in care, children, and/or pets, we hope that this foresight will be useful.”

But the explosions sparked such outcry Wednesday that city officials said they will now look into how to deal with future requests for fireworks.

“We will be refining our process for considering these types of requests going forward,” City Manager Mark Denny said. “I am not aware of any other special event applications of this nature that are currently pending, which will allow us time to address concerns we have received.”

On Tuesday night, local Facebook sites blew up with comments.

“Why are a billion fireworks going off right now?”

“Anyone else have their dog freak out during that random firework show that just happened?”

“Why were they allowed to shoot off fireworks so late on a school night? My whole house shook! Thought it was war games at pendleton.”

Patty Terry, who lives at the Tennis Villas across from the resort, had gone to bed early so she could get up at 4:30 a.m. for the lunar eclipse.

“Just as I laid down, I heard a couple of loud booms,” she said. “It sounded like a bomb. I jumped out of bed and ran to the window and saw the fireworks. Felt like a festive preparation for the blood moon.”

Another neighbor of the resort, Sue Huff, said she not only was scared herself but saw the effects of the loud booms on her husband, an Army veteran who served in Vietnam.

“It was so loud, it scared me to death,” she said. “My husband with his PTSD thought he was back in the war. I didn’t realize it was the hotel until after the first set. It’s just not considerate. I wish they had communicated it via Nextdoor to prepare us. I don’t think it’s fair for (a private event) to ruin it for the neighborhood.”