Rural Metro Fire Department is thanking Josephine County residents who were mostly responsible with fireworks during their Independence Day celebrations.
Rural Metro officials said only a few fires were reported in and around the greater Grants Pass area on Friday night, all of which remained small and were quickly put out by firefighters or good Samaritans.
Two visually spectacular fires were reported due to their proximity to large crowds gathered at the Allen Creek Shopping Center and Williams Highway Plaza, but no injuries were reported and no structures were damaged when sparks lit blackberries and brush.
Fire officials extend their appreciation to everyone who remained responsible with their fireworks usage this year and to those who were properly prepared with the means to extinguish small ignitions. It was the sixth year in a row of a similar outcome within Rural Metro's large response area.
Firefighters from local agencies asked that leftover fireworks be stowed away and saved for New Year's Eve celebrations. The summer wildfire season is just starting with conditions only getting hotter and drier.
