More fires July 4, 2022 is the report of Jon Fortune, Assistant City Manager for Public Safety. The kicker is there was less enforcement by Dallas.
The City of Dallas has a consistent issue enforcing fireworks related nuissance crimes. Year after year Dallas Fire Rescue conducts public safety campaigns on fireworks. Year after year, fireworks are an issue.
Fireworks are illegal in the city limits and up to 5,000 feet outside of them.
More Fires July 4 – The Data
Fortune’s memo covers the usual potpourri of cherry picked data. The fire department responded to more reported structure fires, alarms and other incidents. Compared to last year, DFR responded to more than five times as many incidents.
There were more dumpster and trash fires than a year ago, but the biggest increase was in grass fires. Fortune notes that “further analysis is warranted” to determine causation.
This year DFR and Dallas Police issued nine citations for illegal fireworks. They also seized nine hundred thirty-eight pounds of illehal fireworks. Last year, the departments issues thirteen citations. They also seized almost thirteen hundred pounds of fireworks in 2021.
There was also a house fire in the 400 block of N. Peak Street last year which caused a criminal investigation.
The bottom line is more fires July 4, 2022 than 2021, but less enforcement.