ST. GEORGE — Fire departments across Southern Utah, as well as in Littlefield, Arizona, and Mesquite, Nevada, responded to a total of 41 fireworks-related blazes that burned through yards, trash cans and brush Thursday night.
St. George City Fire Chief Robert Stoker told St. George News the St. George Fire Department had engines and brush trucks stationed at strategic locations throughout the city. They responded to a total of 20 fire calls between 8 p.m. Thursday and 3 a.m. Friday.
Stoker added that 18 of those incidents involved brush and wildland fires, while two were structure-related fires.
The first was reported on West Curly Hollow Drive shortly before 6 p.m., and limited information was available on the second fire. Both caused minor damage.
Nine of the fires reported were in firework-restricted areas, and a number of those incidents will be turned over to the city’s legal department to be reviewed for further action, the chief added.
Teen helps man douse flames
A reader told St. George News a teen citizen’s quick thinking proved to be an invaluable reaction to a fire that was caused by an ember that shot out when a firework malfunctioned.
The blaze sent a large cloud of smoke billowing in the air, which caught the attention of a young man nearby who could see the flames and smoke coming up from the yard. The teen quickly jumped the retaining wall and helped the elderly man who was working to put the large fire out.
Within minutes, the teen had the fire extinguished before the fire department arrived.
It was later when the reader heard the teen had singed his legs before leaving the scene. To the young man who jumped in to help, he left the following message:
“If he sees this,” he wrote, “I want to thank him for what he did.”
Hurricane
Fire crews with the Hurricane Valley Fire District responded to six brush fires and all were reported in fireworks-restricted areas, in addition to two vehicle fires and a trailer fire reported earlier in the day.
One of those vehicle fires was reported shortly after 1 p.m. involving a truck pulling a trailer on the dirt Upper Basin Road in Kolob Canyons that reportedly overheated and caught fire. The flames then spread through the brush but were extinguished before the blaze was allowed to spread any further.
The second was reported on northbound Interstate 15 near exit 30 at 2:30 p.m. involving a Range Rover sports utility vehicle towing a boat caught fire along the shoulder of the roadway.
The fire was put out within an hour, and the burned brush was limited to the area around the vehicle and the boat, which were both blackened, charred and total losses.
Washington City
The Washington City Fire Department responded to eight reported brush fires that were set off by fireworks, and the Washington City Police Chief Jason Williams said that officers also responded to three complaints involving fireworks being set off in restricted areas.
Santa Clara-Ivins
Santa Clara-Ivins Fire & Rescue responded to four fireworks-related fires within the agency’s response area including two brush fires and two trash fires, said Lance Haynie, Government Affairs director for the city of Santa Clara.
Haynie added that no significant damage or injuries were reported during the holiday, which he said was a testament to the residents of Santa Clara and Ivins who adhered to safety guidelines and exercised caution with their personal firework displays.
Additionally, the swift effective response of Santa Clara – Ivins Fire & Rescue, along with the assistance of Dammeron Valley Fire in providing extra resources, was crucial in containing the fires quickly and ensuring the safety of the community.
Fire departments to the south
Chief Jeff Hunt with the Beaver Dam-Littlefield Fire and Ambulance in Littlefield, Arizona, said they responded to one fire call on the Fourth of July that turned out to be “a guy simply burning clippings in his yard.”
“We lucked out,” Hunt added.
The same low call numbers held true for the Mesquite Fire Department in Nevada, where crews responded to a couple of fireworks-related blazes Thursday.
With Pioneer Day just around the corner (July 24) in Southern Utah, law enforcement urges residents to use caution when lighting fireworks by making sure they are only ignited in areas clear of brush, trees, shrubs and homes and not set off in any restricted areas.
For more information on current fireworks restrictions throughout Southern Utah, click here.
This report is based on statements from police, emergency personnel or other responders and may not contain the full scope of findings. No serious injuries were reported.
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