Firefighters across the Chattahoochee Valley stayed busy throughout the Fourth of July, responding to numerous fire-related emergencies involving homes, vehicles, brush and other incidents as fireworks lit up the night sky.
While it remains unclear how many of the fires were caused by fireworks, departments across east Alabama and west Georgia handled a steady stream of calls from Saturday evening into the early morning hours of Sunday.
The first notable call came at 9:18 p.m. EDT when the Beauregard Volunteer Fire Department responded to reports of heavy black smoke in the area of Lee Road 165 and Lee Road 126. Firefighters arrived to find a controlled burn, with no structures or vehicles involved.
At 9:49 p.m., the Southwest Lee County Fire Department, Farmville Volunteer Fire Department and Auburn Fire Department responded to a structure fire in the 1800 block of Lee Road 57. Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze.
Just minutes later, at 10:05 p.m., the Ladonia, Crawford and Uchee Creek volunteer fire departments were dispatched to a barn and equipment fire in the 100 block of Clark Road, off Sandfort Road. Crews remained on scene into the early morning hours of July 5 working to extinguish burning hay bales.
At 10:10 p.m., Crawford firefighters responded to a grass fire on Huguley Road. The fire was quickly brought under control.
At 10:20 p.m., Smiths Station Fire and Rescue responded to the 400 block of Lee Road 2099 after fireworks reportedly ignited a tree. The fire was extinguished before firefighters arrived on scene.
At approximately 10:45 p.m., CNAW2News received reports of a vehicle fire on Hall Avenue. Firefighters responded and extinguished the blaze.
A larger fire broke out at 10:57 p.m. when Columbus Fire and EMS responded to Federal International Recycling and Waste Solutions, located at 1530 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard in Columbus. Heavy smoke and flames were visible from the property as firefighters used a ladder truck to battle the fire.
At around 11:20 p.m. EDT, Opelika fire crews responded to a small brush fire on Avenue C. The fire was extinguished.
At 11:43 p.m., Lee County Sheriff’s deputies and Smiths Station Fire and Rescue responded to a pickup truck fire in a driveway in the 300 block of Lee Road 309. Firefighters extinguished the vehicle fire.
Shortly before 1 a.m., at 12:51 a.m. on July 5, Smiths Station Fire and Rescue responded to a brush fire near a vehicle on Lee Road 980 (Shadowwood Drive). Firefighters quickly stopped the fire before it could spread to the nearby vehicle.
The final reported incident occurred at 1:36 a.m. when the Southwest Lee County Fire Department and Farmville Volunteer Fire Department responded to a fully involved vehicle fire at a residence in the 5800 block of Lee Road 72.
No injuries were immediately reported in any of the incidents.
Authorities have not determined how many of the fires were related to Fourth of July fireworks. Fire officials continue to remind residents to use fireworks responsibly and to have a water source readily available when celebrating.
