Firefighters have their busiest day of the year

Tuesday, July 6, 2004 | 10:42 a.m.

Firefighters across the drought-stricken Las Vegas Valley spent the July 4th holiday dousing 17 percent more fires this year than in 2003, making it the busiest day of the year for local fire departments.

Any type of fireworks, including the Safe-N-Sane kind, are illegal in Clark County until next July 4th. Stored inside homes, fireworks pose a potential explosive hazard in case of a fire, authorities warned Monday.

Only two injuries were reported from midnight on July 3 to midnight on July 4 from incidents related to fireworks.

One person suffered burned fingers when a firecracker went off in his hand and another reported a serious leg burn, authorities said.

In that single 24-hour period, Las Vegas, North Las Vegas and Clark County firefighters responded to 1,040 incidents, 149 more calls than last year. In 2003 firefighters were called to 891 emergencies -- everything from fire alarms to auto accidents to fires.

On a typical day firefighters respond to between 300 and 400 calls. On average there may be 10 brush fires and three or four tree fires.

This July 4th firefighters in the three jurisdictions responded to 26 building fires, 22 dumpster fires, 90 brush fires and 32 trees on fire.

The costliest fire did $160,000 in damage to two homes and four yards at North 16th Street and Mesquite Avenue, Las Vegas Fire Department spokesman Tim Szymanski said.

The fire was sparked by illegal bottle rockets falling onto tinder-dry backyards and spreading to two homes, Szymanski said. Extreme dry conditions set the stage for sparks from airborne exploding fireworks showering down on parched trees and brush, igniting such fires.

"As firefighters worked to put the blaze out and clean up hot spots, fireworks could be heard in the neighborhood," Szymanski said.

The American Red Cross aided two displaced families, Szymanski said.

Although minimal damage occurred, fireworks are suspected in a blaze that damaged the roof of the Camden Vintage Apartments at Vegas Drive and Torrey Pines Avenue late Sunday night, Szymanski said.

In the northwest valley, fireworks discarded in a plastic container ignited in the garage of a house in the 6600 block of Silver Penny Avenue after a family of five left the home near Smoke Ranch Road and Rainbow Boulevard.

Neighbors called the fire department at 2:09 a.m. Monday to report the garage fire, which caused an estimated $5,000 of damage. Firefighters had to cut through the garage door to battle the blaze, Szymanski said.

About 100 residents were evacuated from a hotel in downtown Las Vegas after a fire in a mattress ignited at 3:02 a.m. Monday.

Las Vegas firefighters saw smoke pouring from the second story of the Beverly Palms Hotel in the 200 block of South Sixth Street.

Two people, including a hotel manager, were treated for smoke inhalation at the scene and released, Szymanski said.

The mattress fire was confined to a single room with damage estimated at $1,000.

Fire investigators believed that the fire started on the mattress from careless smoking and ruled it accidental. Residents were allowed to return to their rooms.

In Henderson a two-story, single-family house that has been vacant for several years caught fire at 10:52 p.m. on Sunday, Henderson Battalion Chief Doug Koopman said.

Firefighters saw flames throughout the structure at Eastern Avenue and Coronado Drive, Koopman said.

A total of 27 firefighters responded to the blazing structure, which was allowed to burn to the ground.

No injuries were reported from the fire, Koopman said. Investigators had not determined a cause of the fire late Monday.

The U.S. Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and the Nevada National Guard were on alert all weekend as fire danger reached the extreme level in the state's wildlands after five years of drought.

In Pahrump, 60 miles west of Las Vegas, a western grass called red brome grew thick in the spring and then died, fueled a brush fire, said Bureau of Land Management Director Bob Abbey.