How busy were Fresno-area fire departments on July 4 weekend?

Some local departments that GV Wire spoke with were still compiling numbers, but everything was under control.

“Every Fourth of July is busy to one degree or another,” Clovis Fire Department spokesperson Chad Fitzgerald said.

Fresno Fire planned ahead with three additional engines and 12 extra staff, spokesperson Josh Sellers said.

“It was busy, but it did not overwhelm the department,” Sellers said.

Sellers said Fresno Fire responded to 190 incidents — 122 of which were fires, both structure and vegetation — in the 12-hour period starting at 6 p.m. July 4.

The city also received 1,500 complaints on its FresGO app for reports of illegal fireworks.

Sellers said the city deployed drones to monitor fireworks. The department will spend the next few days analyzing video.

Clovis Fire responded to 20 calls for service, including a fire at a home near Gettysburg and Willow avenues that was substantially damaged, Fitzgerald said. The cause is undetermined.

Fire Near Island Waterpark

One of the more prominent fires Fresno Fire extinguished was near the Island Waterpark on Friday, around 9:50 p.m.

The fire erupted in an empty lot across the street from the park, near Barstow Avenue and Island Waterpark Drive. It took two hours for 16 firefighters to knock down the blaze.

Sellers did not have an exact cause, but fireworks are suspected. There was no damage to any property, nor injuries.

The park, on its Facebook post, emphasized that their fireworks were not to blame for the fire and said it followed all safety protocols.

“The blaze was not connected to the waterpark’s operations or its professional fireworks display,” Island Waterpark said. “At no time were our guests in any danger.”

Fresno Fire also responded to a grass fire along Highway 168 and Shields Avenue, with no structures damaged.

County Fire Captain Praises Department

Cal Fire/Fresno County Fire reported 111 incidents alone for July 4, including 53 vegetation fires, 57 medical aids, and one public assist.

“In just under three hours, crews were pushed to their limits responding to a relentless wave of calls,” Fire Captain Gary Couch said.

Fire crews couldn’t have done their jobs as ably “without the incredible men and women behind the scenes in our Emergency Command Center (dispatch)!” Couch said. “They are the true backbone of our operation, and they deserve the highest praise.”

The calls came in between 8:11 p.m. and 11 p.m. on Friday.

The department covers the rural areas, including state lands.

The North Central Fire Protection District — which covers several county islands west of Highway 99 and the city of Kerman — reported 33 fire incidents on July 4.