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| Busy Fourth for firefighters |
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| Written by John Saiz | Patterson Irrigator | |
| Wednesday, 09 July 2008 | |
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“People that we cite (for illegal fireworks) treat us like we’re the bad guy. It’s very disheartening..” — Steve Hall Patterson fire marshal Many people got an extra day off work last weekend for the Independence Day holiday. Patterson’s fire crews, on the other hand, got calls for fires, illegal-fireworks confiscations and a young boy struck by a car.  ILLEGAL BOOTY: Patterson firefighters show off some of the bottle rockets and other potentially dangerous, high-flying fireworks that were confiscated during a busy Fourth of July weekend for first-responders. Photo by Elias Funez/Patterson Irrigator “We appreciate all the people that use safe-and-sane fireworks,” said Patterson Fire Marshal Steve Hall. To prevent fires, Patterson firefighters patrolled neighborhoods to nab people using illegal fireworks. Illegal fireworks, or legal fireworks used improperly, are almost always the culprits behind Fourth of July fires, Hall said. Any firework that leaves the ground, such as a bottle rocket, is illegal. Fireworks that cause explosions, such as firecrackers, are also outlawed. Hall suspects fireworks were behind the flames that burned three Italian cypresses Friday at Mary Jane and Ivy avenues. It is hard to pinpoint the cause of the blaze, Hall said, because witnesses have not come forward. The flames didn’t spread from the trees. The only other harm was to a car parked close by, which had minor damage. “We’re very lucky we got there quickly,” Hall said. Firefighters were on-scene for about an hour. It’s not just fire that had local emergency responders running around town. A car accident involving a young child also happened during Independence Day festivities. As people set off fireworks on the 500 block of West Las Palmas Avenue, a boy about 8 years old darted into traffic and was hit by a car, according to a witness. An ambulance took the boy from the scene. His condition is not known, but he was conscious when the ambulance drove away with him. “We were all looking at the fireworks, and then we heard a ‘thump, thump’ and a kid cry,” said Debbie Dickinson. She said the vehicle’s driver was traveling well below the speed limit, and the accident could have been much worse. “He was driving very, very slow,” Dickinson said. When not responding to emergencies, firefighters searched for the illegal fireworks. They seized about 12 pounds of mortars, bottle rockets and other illegal explosives. That’s way down from last year, when the department seized close to 50 pounds, the largest seizure in all of Stanislaus County, Hall said. “It was calmer,” he said of the 2008 event. Two people were cited for possessing illegal fireworks, which carries a $750 fine. Another three people had illegal fireworks taken from them. “People that we cite treat us like we’re the bad guy,” Hall said. “It’s very disheartening.” Firefighters tried to locate those lighting illegal fireworks by watching the skies. As mortars and rockets went up, the firefighters went to the neighborhoods they appeared to have come from. If they witnessed someone light the fireworks, the person would get a citation and hefty fine. If a firefighter could only tell which property the fireworks had come from, the property owner was given the chance to turn over any other explosives rather than face punishment. “If they realized how dangerous (they are) and the potential for destruction, maybe they wouldn’t do it,” Hall said. To reach John Saiz at the Irrigator, call 892-6187 or e-mail him at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
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