Crews respond to 69 fires in Riverside County during 4th of July
Cal Fire and Riverside County firefighters responded to a total of 69 fire incidents throughout the 4th of July holiday. Officials sent out a breakdown of the fire reports Wednesday morning following the festivities.
Breakdown of 4th of July fire statistics in Riverside County:
3 commercial structure fires 8 residential structure fires 22 wildland fires 36 other fires including refuse/debris and improvement fires Firefighters were also called to 64 false alarms
The cause of each of these fires is still under investigation, Cal Fire officials said in the release on Wednesday.
The Desert Hot Springs Police Department said officers responded to over 50 calls for service of illegal fireworks and issued eight citations which carry a fine of $1,000. Officers began the special enforcement operation on June 30, according to officials.
“They are dangerous, there’s no question about it. Not to mention the effects they have on the psyche of some of our citizens who might be suffering from PTSD and from combat tours,” said Desert Hot Springs Police Chief Dale Mondary.
Mondary says officers have responded to more than 100 calls, and wrote more than a dozen citations, regarding illegal fireworks around the holiday.
Extreme Fire Danger continues across Southern California as heat & humidity enter Coachella Valley
Fire crews in Cathedral City say the holiday has also kept them busy dealing with fires related to illegal fireworks.
“From seven to 11 last night, we ran 7 reported fires,” said Cathedral City Fire Battalion Chief Eric Hauser. “It’s so dark, and if there’s any type of wind, those devices move. So, it’s a challenge to chase down the responsible party for these illegal fireworks.”
But firefighters and police officers say they’ll be ready to go in case anyone decides to light up after the holiday.
“Do you really want to risk it for a $1,000 fine? Do you really want to risk setting those off? Not just for the fine, but the injuries it might cause,” Chief Mondary said.
Now that the holiday is over, all fireworks are now illegal in the Coachella Valley, even Safe & Sane fireworks which were legal in some cities.
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