Luck Frees Firefighters From July 4th Fears

Despite fears that the combination of fireworks and extraordinarily dry hillsides could lead to a volatile July 4th, Orange County firefighters encountered only a few small fires Wednesday.

“So far, so good,” County Fire Department Capt. Hank Raymond said Wednesday afternoon. “We put on some extra units to patrol and keep an eye on things, but so far we haven’t had any real problems.”

Firefighters across the county had been bracing for what many feared would be a dangerous Independence Day. The region’s hills have been parched by the drought, and the holiday had officials on alert for firecrackers and careless revelers that might start fires.

To prepare for that possibility, extra county fire units, with the aid of police departments, patrolled areas where fireworks are illegal, citing offenders and confiscating any contraband. By late Wednesday afternoon, police and fire department spokesmen were reporting few such citations. Newport Beach police said they issued several tickets and confiscated some fireworks.

One of the fires occurred Wednesday morning in Stanton, when a man working on his truck accidentally ignited a fire with his welding torch. County firefighters responded to the call. Raymond said that it looked for a while as if the fire would turn into something serious because the truck’s gas tank ruptured and leaked fuel. It was contained, however, before any major damage could be done.

The dry brush in a creek bed near the intersection of State College and Yorba Linda boulevards in Fullerton also burned Wednesday morning, igniting a eucalyptus tree and burning a small area but causing no damage to homes or property, Fire Department officials said.

“They had three engines out there, but it turned out to be a very small creek bed fire, and we have it contained,” dispatcher Diane Boyles said Wednesday afternoon.