Illegal fireworks spark busy night for Fresno firefighters on 4th of July

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- The Fresno Fire Department scheduled extra firefighters to be on duty this Fourth of July to handle fires sparked by fireworks.

Early Tuesday evening, a brush fire was sparked in downtown Fresno off Highway 41 and Tulare Street and spread to a vacant home.

As the sun went down, countless illegal fireworks shot up into the sky.

"Last year's fires, all of them were caused by illegal fireworks that folks had lit off. Looked like a great show until it came down on their neighbors' roof and burned several homes down," Fresno Fire Battalion Chief Brian Price said.

Action News got a front-row seat to the action during a ride along with Price.

"We brought in nine additional firefighters to staff up actual apparatus spread out throughout the city. We've got some on the west, north and we move got some more in the south," Price explained.

In total, Fresno Fire has more than 40 additional firefighters on staff... including these trainees, which are about to graduate from the Fire Academy.

They'll be assisting fire crews with things like laying and picking up a hose.

Independence Day is usually the busiest night for the Fresno Fire Department.

As the night went on, so did the calls.

Fireworks sparked a fire in the dry grass along Hwy 168 and Harvard.

Price went right to work to help mop it up.

"There is a repercussion, if you do end up using illegal fireworks and are caught and cited it is a pretty significant fine," said Price.

Last year, several houses were destroyed by fires sparked by illegal fireworks.

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