SAN FRANCISCO (KCBS RADIO) – Several Bay Area fire departments are fighting fires caused by illegal fireworks on the Fourth of July.
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The San Francisco Fire Department received a total of 827 calls on Independence Day, 247 of which were fire calls, 67 were outside fires, 82 were wildland fires and two were structure fires, the department announced in a Twitter post.
At around 12:39 a.m., San Francisco police responded to a large fire surrounded by a crowd at 24th and Harrison streets. When officers attempted to diffuse the situation, the crowd threw fireworks and glass bottles at them, injuring 12, according to police.
Eventually, police were able to clear the crowd from the street and fire crews extinguished the fire before further damage occurred.
The Contra Costa County Fire Protection District reported that Monday was the busiest night in the year with crews responding to a total of 55 fires. "Many of the fires last night are known to have been caused by fireworks, while many others are suspected," the department said.
The Oakland Fire Department battled five vegetation fires from 5 p.m. until midnight, confirming in a Twitter post that all were ignited by illegal firework activity. Oakland fire authorities reported that they had received 38 fire related calls on the Fourth and 38 other calls for miscellaneous fire responses.
"As expected, call volume overall for fires and medical incidents citywide saw a significant spike. We anticipate a long night ahead and we're ready," the department wrote.
Just before midnight Monday, crews from the Vallejo Firefighters Association also responded to "multiple fireworks caused fires" across the city. "As a reminder, all non-permitted fireworks are illegal in Vallejo," officials said.
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