FRESNO, CA (KMJ) – Fireworks, and the subsequent fires kept Central Valley fire departments busy on the 4th of July – a 65 percent increase from 2016 in the number of fires.
Fresno Fire had to temporarily suspend response to medical emergencies —because there were so many calls.
325 calls says Cal Fire Division Chief Jim McDougal at a press conference held by Cal Fire, Clovis and Fresno Fire Departments on Wednesday morning.
[Photos: Fresno Fire]
“98 of those being vegetation fires, 2 vehicle fires, 2 apartment fires, and 3 residential fires, and on the 4th of July, 16 citations were issued.” – Cal Fire Division Chief Jim McDougal.
McDougal says several hundred pounds of fireworks confiscated, with fines over a thousand dollars.
Fresno Fire Investigator Don McAlpine says they have more aggressively been going after the sellers of the illegal fireworks. Some have been turned by co-workers -he says it can be a felony that goes on a permanent record.
The Clovis Fire Department saw its share of action.
“We responded to 143 calls, we had one structure fire, three grass fires, we have increased our presence both in the fireworks department with our investigation team and our weed abatement team to try and prevent all this.”- Clovis Fire Inspector Andy Isolano.
Clovis Fire has also been aggressively going after the sellers of the illegal fireworks with hefty fines, and they are asking people to go see shows instead of lighting their own fireworks.
We’re kinda encouraging people in the future to maybe arrange for the professional shows to be your fireworks and avoid the potential problems, you could have doing the illegal stuff. $1000 is a lot of money and that doesn’t include the ramifications of the potential dangers – if any little kid gets hurt we all have to live with that.” – Clovis Fire Inspector Andy Isolano.
Click below to listen to reports by KMJ’s Liz Kern:
Fresno Fire:
Clovis Fire:
