The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District, or ConFire, said it responded to 55 fires, five accidents and 140 emergency medical service calls on Monday, which it called its busiest night of the year.
It’s still unclear how many of those fires were ignited by fireworks.
ConFire firefighters responded to 48 grass and outdoor fires and five structure fires across their district on July 4, 2021. Those stats represented 20% and 40% reductions in those kinds of fires, respectively, from the district’s Independence Day 2020 figures. That year, firefighters contained 67 blazes that threatened 10 structures and confirmed at least 16 of them resulted from fireworks.
Further west over the hills, firefighters in Oakland confirmed by midnight that five vegetation fires contained this year were caused by illegal firework activity over seven hours on Monday evening. The same crews extinguished three structure fires overnight on the holiday last year.
PITTSBURG, CALIFORNIA – JULY 4: Contra Costa firefighters mop up at the scene of a structure fire on Lynbrook Drive in Pittsburg, Calif., on Monday, July 4, 2022. Contra Costa County Fire responded to about 30 fires this evening. Nine of these fires were confirmed to have been started by fireworks with many more suspected. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) ANTIOCH, CALIFORNIA – JULY 4: An illegal firework explodes in the sky adjacent to Highway 4 in Antioch, Calif., on Monday, July 4, 2022. Contra Costa County Fire responded to about 30 fires this evening. Nine of these fires were confirmed to have been started by fireworks with many more suspected. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group) ANTIOCH, CALIFORNIA – JULY 4: A Contra Costa firetruck makes a turn onto Hillcrest Ave while on it’s way to a vegetation fire in Antioch, Calif., on Monday, July 4, 2022. Contra Costa County Fire responded to about 30 fires this evening. Nine of these fires were confirmed to have been started by fireworks with many more suspected. (Jose Carlos Fajardo/Bay Area News Group)
