In a 2020 file photo for illustrative purposes only, fireworks are set off by residents near St. George Boulevard in St. George, Utah, July 4, 2020. | File photo by Chris Reed, St. George News
ST. GEORGE — Fire departments in southern Utah, Littlefield, Arizona and Mesquite, Nevada responded to a total of 35 fireworks-related fires of varying size and severity Monday night.
In this 2020 file photo for illustrative purposes only, a fire burns in the Black Hill in St. George, Utah, July 4, 2020. | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News
St. George City Fire Chief Robert Stocker told the St. George News that the St. George Fire Department has engines and brush trucks that were strategically located in the city on Monday night that responded to a total of 25 fire calls from about 8:00pm to 7:00am on Tuesday morning.
Three fire departments also provided support to crews in St. George, including Enterprise Fire Department, Dammeron Valley Fire and Rescue and Diamond Valley Fire Department.
Nineteen of the reported fires were brush fires, which included mostly residential trees and landscaping, that were ignited by fireworks, he said.
Three of the reported brush fires involved larger fires, one of which was a fire reported off River Road that was likely started by a sky lantern, Stocker said, adding that several witnesses reported seeing the lantern rose near Tamarisk Drive in the Bloomington Hills area then drifted to River Road where the hill caught fire.
Another one of the larger fires was burning near a water tank located on the hillside above Interstate 15 near Exit 2, where fire crews found a large accumulation of burned fireworks when they arrived, Stocker said.
One of the fires involved a car that caught fire when a lit firework fell on it and started burning, he said.
Five reported fires were found in trash cans or containers. But fortunately, Stoker said, none of the containers were near any of the homes, such as when the trash can was pushed against a structure. In those cases, he said the fireworks can smolder for hours until they ignite. The heat from the fire then transfers to the wall, which can ignite the siding and set the home on fire.
Three of the fires were reported as building fires, Stocker said, which turned out to be brush fires that ignited near a structure.
Fireworks view at 99.9 KONY Country Celebration 4th of July, St. George, Utah, July 4, 2022 | Photo by Chris Reed, St. George News
“No structural damage was reported in these fires,” he added.
There appears to have been a spike in the total number of illegal fireworks set off this year, he added, and many of the reported fires were in restricted areas, such as the fire burning near the water tower.
He also said there were two crews deployed to the KONY Country 4th of July celebration held at Utah Tech University where two of the fireworks went off. Instead of firing into the air, they fired sideways, he said, and both went out into the clean, open area that had been set up before the show.
In the Santa Clara-Ivins area, the fire department responded to one call involving a brush fire that was started by a lit firework and was quickly extinguished, according to a social media release from Santa Clara-Ivins Fire and Rescue on Tuesday morning .
The post added that residents of Santa Clara and Ivins did an “excellent job” of mitigating firework-related fire risks during Monday’s festivities while other fire departments were busy throughout the county.
Washington Township Fire Battalion Chief Dan Casier said Washington Township fire crews responded to five fires Monday night, including two fires reported in residential yards that initially threatened buildings because of where they were burning. But those flames were quickly extinguished before they had a chance to spread. Two of the five fires were dumpster fires started by discarded fireworks.
Utah Department of Public Safety Fireworks Safety Checklist | Image courtesy of Utah Department of Public Safety, St. George News
The fifth was a brush fire reported near the Washington Township Community Center, where there are dozens of homes in close proximity, Casier said, but that fire was also quickly extinguished.
Up north, Cedar City Fire Chief Mike Phillips said his crews responded to 11 fires started by fireworks, most of which were dumpster fires that were started by hot fireworks thrown into dumpsters.
Years ago, Cedar City created six designated areas in the city for residents to set off fireworks, which is a system that works well, Phillips added.
Designated zones help limit calls to a specific area that is also clear of brush, trees and structures.
No major incidents have been reported this year, he said, similar to what is being reported throughout Washington County.
In Nevada, Mesquite Fire and Rescue crews responded to a total of four fires, Mesquite Fire and Rescue Capt. Spencer Lewis said, adding that three of the blazes were brush fires and the fourth was a fire that started in a storage container. garbage.
Lewis also said the numbers related to fireworks were pretty consistent with last year’s total, adding that two of the fires had already been extinguished when crews arrived.
In Arizona, the Beaver Dam-Littlefield Fire District has not responded to any fireworks-related fires, said Battalion Chief Andre Ojeda of the Beaver Dam-Littlefield Fire District.
“We had a quiet Fourth of July – thank God,” he added.
The battalion chief said crews responded to what was initially reported as a brush fire off I-15, but were unable to find anything burning when they arrived.
With Pioneer Day just around the corner in southern Utah, Stoker stressed the importance of residents being careful when setting off fireworks, making sure they are lit only in areas free of brush, trees, brush and homes and not set off in prohibited areas. zones.
He said all used fireworks should be soaked in a bucket of water before being thrown in the trash, and residents should remove trash cans from their homes before putting used fireworks in them.
He also said heat and high winds increase the risk of fires, including those started by fireworks, so residents should be aware of weather conditions before lighting fireworks to reduce the risk of starting a fire.
For more information on fireworks safety and restrictions, go to the Utah Department of Public Safety.
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2022, all rights reserved.
Cody Blowers grew up in South San Francisco, California. A 2013 graduate of Colorado Tech University, Coady earned a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice with a minor in paralegal studies. During her academic studies, she discovered that writing was her true passion and committed herself to providing credible, integrated news. Cody joined St. George News in 2015, and when she’s not busy chasing the news, she can usually be found chasing her little granddaughter, Callie.
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