South County fire and EMS personnel responded to at least two vegetation fires July 4 that were likely ignited by unauthorized celebratory fireworks, but for the most part the Independence Day holiday didn’t see any significant local fire or medical emergencies, according to authorities.
CalFire responded to two grass fires near Morgan Hill Thursday night, according to CalFire Battalion Chief Brandon Leitzke.
One of the fires was just off the U.S. 101 north of Morgan Hill, near the Coyote Creek Golf Course, Leitzke said. That fire burned less than an acre of grass and vegetation.
Crews also responded to a grass fire on Murphy Springs Drive in northwest Morgan Hill, which burned about an acre of vegetation before it was extinguished, Leitzke said.
Both fires were caused by residents setting off “illegal fireworks,” but neither blaze resulted in significant damage or any injuries, Leitzke said.
The City of Morgan Hill prohibits the display of fireworks, except in public displays that are authorized, permitted, and supervised by the fire chief, according to the City’s municipal code.
In Gilroy, where quieter so-called “safe and sane” fireworks are permitted for sale and display only during the Independence Day holiday, crews did not respond to any calls related to fireworks, according to Gilroy Fire Division Chief Colin Martin.
That’s not to say there was any shortage of celebration – “You could hear (fireworks) everywhere,” Martin said, but the revelry incited no unusual need for emergency services.
“It was uneventful, which is good,” Martin said.
