While Pullman residents were busy setting off fireworks this holiday season, July 1–4 proved equally busy for the Pullman Fire Department with firefighters responding to more than seven fires around town.

There were at least seven reports of fires and many complaints of firework misuse, including fireworks being set off near the Pullman water tower at Military Hill Park, Pullman Fire Marshal Darren Jones said. Fireworks were the likely culprit of nearly all the fire reports issued on July 3 and 4, he said.

“We had several calls that were related to fireworks on the 3rd and 4th, primarily on the 4th,” Jones said. “All the fires we responded to, or at least the majority, were related to fireworks.”

Because of dry conditions and the risk of fire, fireworks use was only allowed from 9 a.m.-11 p.m. on July 3 and 9 a.m.-midnight on July 4 according to the Pullman Police Department’s Twitter account, but were illegal outside that allocated time frame.

“There was one fire that we had that was in a dumpster, and I can’t prove it was fireworks that caused that, but more likely than not, some fireworks were disposed of in there, or maybe a firework flew in there and caught the dumpster on fire,” Jones said.

On July 4, calls regarding fires breaking out around Pullman started as early as 9 p.m., Jones said. Firework use fell substantially after July 4. Fireworks are also allowed to be used during New Year’s Eve, which is another period that usually receives some fireworks complaints.

“Through the school year, from August until the end of the year, every now and then there’s a fireworks complaint. Someone might have one left over, maybe after a football game or Coug win you might hear a firework or two, but it’s pretty rare outside of the July 1-4 window,” said Jones.

Jones said he began hearing fireworks on July 4 by 7 p.m. and began to receive calls around 9 p.m. Fire reports continued to come in until around midnight.

Sophomore biochemistry major Mya Mackowski, who spent July 4 in Pullman, said fire trucks could be heard all night during that period.

The Pullman PD daily crime logs noted only two reports of noise complaints from July 3 through July 4. No traffic violations were logged, nor were any DUIs issued. Mackowski said she was not seriously concerned about any crimes taking place that day.

“This community is pretty tight-knit. The only crime I worried about happening during the week was speeding and drunk driving,” Mackowski said.