FPE&I/Dallas Police confiscate fireworks and issue a record number of citations over the Fourth of July weekend.

Fire Prevention, Education & Inspection division gets aggressive
against the illegal use of fireworks

The FPE&I division of the Dallas Fire-Rescue Department announced the results of the Fourth of July safety campaign.  Fire Prevention officers, with the assistance of Dallas Police officers, patrolled area lakes, parks and neighborhoods in an effort to curtail the illegal use of fireworks within the city limits.  Fire officers issued 90 citations, a 200% increase from last year.  In addition, fireworks were confiscated from individuals.  Captain Roger Hester of the Dallas Fire Marshal’s office stated that there were enough fireworks collected “to fill four ½ ton pickups.”  In separate fireworks-related incidents, the Dallas Police Department issued a total of 103 citations and made two arrests.  Overall, a total of 193 citations were issued over the Fourth of July weekend.

Despite the warnings issued regarding the dangers of fireworks, there were several properties damaged by fireworks-related fires.  The illegal use of fireworks caused thousands of dollars in property damage to area structures.  In addition, approximately 20 residents were displaced when eight units in the Pleasant Village Apartments were heavily damaged as a result of a 3-alarm blaze on July 4^th.  This particular fire alone caused more than $125,000 in structural damage.  Besides several small grass and trash fires, there were other incidents that generated major emergency responses from our front line force. 

Below is a sample of fireworks-related responses:

3-alarm response to 368 N. Jim Miller
1-alarm response to 316 N. Jim Miller
1-alarm response to 9585 Scyene
1-alarm response to 901 Cedar Hill
1-alarm response to 10335 Ferguson Rd. (Book Depository - Dallas Public Library)

Dallas Fire-Rescue and the Dallas Police Department would like to thank the media for their assistance during our Fourth of July safety campaign.