Fire Department Calls Heat Up on Fourth of July

Nearly 103,000 people celebrated the Fourth of July on the sand in Newport Beach, keeping firefighters and lifeguards on their toes.

The Newport Beach Fire Department deployed additional resources to manage the increase in calls on Wednesday. Overall the department responded to nearly 2,700 emergency situations which included three fires sparked by illegal fireworks, according to Jennifer Schulz, fire department spokeswoman.

Related:

• At 9:29 p.m. a vegetation fire broke out in the 1000 Block of Mariners Dr. in Dover Shores.

• A trash fire broke out at 11:01 p.m. at the Coronado Apartments.

• A second trash fire started at 11:37 p.m. in the 1900 block of Irvine Ave.

Along with the fires, the fire department handled various other calls including 36 ocean rescue calls, 2,430 calls for lifeguard preventative action, one boat rescue off West Jetty and 14 calls to help lost children get back to their parents.

"The majority of the incidents occurred in the Balboa Peninsula area," Schulz said. "The pre-holiday planning and increase in staffing was utilized as all of the Newport Beach Fire Department units were busy during the afternoon and evening."

No injuries or significant property damage were reported due to the fires, Schulz said.