Central Pierce Fire reports hundreds of calls over Fourth of July

Central Pierce Fire reports hundreds of calls over Fourth of July

Western Washington residents celebrated a Friday Fourth of July, keeping Pierce County fire crews busy. Officials reported a "busy 24 hours" responding to calls for assistance.

PIERCE COUNTY, Wash. - Western Washington residents just rang in a Friday Fourth of July holiday. Fire crews in Pierce County are saying they had a "busy 24 hours" as calls for help also rang in. Favorable weather conditions for the entire holiday weekend will continue in Washington.

By the numbers:

The agency reports responding to more than 240 calls from 8 a.m. on July 4 to 8 a.m. on July 5. 

Central Pierce Fire and Rescue photo posted on July 5, 2025

Those calls included 103 incidents of brush fires, structure fires, vehicle fires, illegal burning and smoke investigations. 

In a post to X (formerly Twitter) CPFR says they anticipate another night as residents celebrate the holiday weekend. 

In 2024, the Seattle Fire Department says they responded to 51 fireworks-related fires. 

What they're saying:

"Just five years ago in 2020, a significant fire occurred in West Seattle where fireworks ignited dry brush in front of a four-story apartment building and quickly extended to the top floor balcony," reads a Seattle city government advisory to celebrators for the 2025 holiday.

Dig deeper:

On Friday, Pierce County deputies released details of an arrest involving a man possessing explosives.

The post to Facebook included a reminder that there is a line between fireworks and explosives under the law. 

"As we celebrate the 4th of July, please know that the original M-80 was a pyrotechnic simulator used for military training decades ago and contained about 3 grams of explosive powder. This is way over the legal limit, and it is defined as an explosive, not a firework. They were banned for unlicensed use nationwide in 1966. M-80’s and other items like them are considered explosives, not fireworks. They are illegal on and reservations under both state and federal law."

Law enforcement took time to remind the public that sparkler bombs also fall into the category of illegal explosives by going over the explosive weight limit of 50 milligrams.

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