Dear Editor,
As the Sweetwater County Fire Warden, I would first like to thank the great majority of our county residents who used caution and common sense in their use of fireworks in their celebrations of the founding of our great country on the evening of July 4.
And to those who carelessly and without concern for the safety of your neighbors and community and the dozens of firefighters you put at an elevated risk due to your lighting of fireworks in and adjacent to dry grass and brush causing one of our worst wildland fire events for the holiday in many years I say to you, “You are very lucky that no one was injured or killed (July 4).”
Fighting wildfires at night is dangerous enough. Doing it with limited resources and manpower all the while having fireworks still being lit off over our heads only makes it even worse.
On the night of the 4th, there were more than 20 wildfires that were responded to by about every fire department in the county within a four-hour period. It was such a challenge that at one point we actually ran out of wildland fire engines that could get to these fires and had to start risking larger apparatus in their place in an effort to control them. About 19 fire engines and more than 70 firefighters, both paid and volunteer responded throughout the night into the wee hours of the morning to ensure that all the fires we could reach and suppress were completely out.
The magnitude and scope of the amount of wildfires started by fireworks this 4th of July has not been seen in Sweetwater County in many years.
Starting at about 9 p.m., the fire departments of Sweetwater County, Sweetwater County Fire District No. 1, Green River, Rock Springs, Rock Springs BLM, Ashley National Forest, Wamsutter and Little America were rapidly being dispatched to multiple wildfires caused by fireworks. This immediately began to exhaust most of our departments and agency resources as they not only responded engines and crews to these fires, but at the same time had to each maintain to their best of abilities a crew and engine for other emergency calls such as motor vehicle accidents, medical calls and structure fires.
We cannot simply send everything out of all the fire stations to commit them to wildfires and not leave anything to cover the towns and public safety in case we have a larger event.
We are very fortunate that there were no injuries or accidents to any of the firefighters who went the extra mile in their efforts to protect and save lives and property. And to the many citizens who took action as best they could until we arrived we say. “Thank You.”
And to all the Law Enforcement agencies throughout the county and our federal partners we also would like to say thank you. Not only for your outstanding assistance on the 4th of July but for every day you put in to keep us all safe and for the great working relationship we share with each other.
Mike Bournazian
County Fire Warden
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