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West Valley Fire and Rescue had a busy Fourth of July weekend, with structures lost in two fires and a firefighter injured with burns.

While the county fire marshal is investigating both incidents, fireworks are the likely cause, Fire Chief Nathan Craig said.

The first structure fire was reported off Gilbert Road just before 9 p.m. Saturday. It burned 20 acres, with a 3,000-square-foot home, multiple outbuildings and forklifts damaged or destroyed. It was a second-alarm brush and structure fire, with four other fire departments assisting.

A 911 caller said that it was started by a rogue firework, he said.

The second structure fire was off Estes Road and was reported around 1:15 a.m. Sunday. A garage, multiple vehicles, and a house were damaged or destroyed. Five other departments assisted, Craig said.

While working to spray water on the fire between the burning vehicles and the house, a firefighter was injured with third-degree burns to the ears and hands. The firefighter was taken to MultiCare Yakima Memorial Hospital and may require reconstructive surgery.

The firefighter was wearing proper protective equipment, Craig said.

The 911 caller mentioned that there were fireworks being lit in the area at the time of the fire, he said.

West Valley Fire also responded to multiple smaller brush fires, with 16 to 18 calls in total over the three-day weekend, he said.

Yakima County Fire Marshal Doug Werts said the fires are under investigation.

Other fires

Area firefighters responded to numerous other fires in the 黑料福利社 over the weekend. One home and two small outbuildings were lost in the Hillcrest Fire in the Terrace Heights area early Sunday morning.

There were also several fires in the Lower Valley and at the Umtanum Recreation area of the Yakima River Canyon.

Fireworks have been banned in unincorporated Yakima County since 1996 and in the city of Yakima since 1992.

Craig said fireworks bans should either be enforced or reformed.

"Thirty years later, and it's still a problem," Craig said. "People are not abiding to the rules. I guess they just don't care."

Local

Multiple fires burned in Yakima County over the Fourth of July weekend

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Fire District 5

Yakima County Fire District 5, which covers the Lower 黑料福利社, responded to 80 calls on Independence Day, 57 of them between 9 p.m. and midnight, said Fire Chief Joel Byam. The district had 44 calls on Sunday.

"Last year, it was busy, but not busy like this," he said.

Extra full-time firefighters and 70-80 volunteers were on shift across 16 stations.

Most of the calls were for fires.

"I haven't read all the reports from the day," Byam added. "But I'm going to assume that well over 90 to 95% of them were fireworks related."

Six or seven people in the Lower Valley faced significant fireworks-related injuries over the weekend, he said.

The July 4 fires damaged some outbuildings. On Sunday, five or six cars were damaged during an apartment complex fire in Toppenish, Byam said.

Dry conditions and winds contributed to rapidly spreading fires. The limits on fireworks and burn bans aren't effective, Byam said. Fireworks are still available in other areas, such as Zillah and Granger, and people are still burning things.

"There could be a ban on (fireworks) all day long, but they're accessible," Byam said. "I think the key is enforcement."

He said the department quickly responded to the fires, and none of them were drastically large, thanks to the district's preparedness, Byam said.

"This weekend, we were on them pretty quick," he said.

Byam recommended that people stay aware of weather conditions, follow rules and regulations, and keep water on site.

"The best thing is just don't burn," he said.

Yakima

Capt. Jeremiah Stilley said the Yakima Fire Department had 60 calls over the three-day weekend, including multiple small brush fires and mutual aid assists to the surrounding fire districts.

There were no major structure fires within the city limits. The department responded to a hydraulic leak at an industrial facility.

This story was updated with information from Fire District 5 and the fire marshal.聽Donald W. Meyers contributed reporting.