Richland reports no structure fires over July 4 weekend; authorities note fewer incidents than last year

Fire Chief Randy Ost and Police Chief Pilcher gave the council an update on July 4 weekend public-safety operations.

Ost said BCES dispatch processed 1,400 911 calls in a four-hour peak period and that Richland Fire and Emergency Services responded to 103 incidents across the July 4–5 48‑hour window (71 incidents between noon July 4 and noon July 5). Of the 103 incidents, 25 were fire-related and 17 were specifically identified as started by fireworks; Ost said not all starts could be conclusively tied to fireworks and that there was an 11.1% reduction in fireworks-related calls compared with the previous year. He reported no structure fires and no reported fireworks injuries and praised regional dispatch and mutual-aid coordination. Ost also recognized three firefighters who received a first-responder award from Toyota of Tri-Cities and a $10,000 check given to a nonprofit of their choice.

Police Chief Pilcher said the department received 83 fireworks-related calls (down from 98 last year), assisted fire on seven calls, used a drone that arrived before ground officers roughly 20% of the time, and made one arrest for reckless burning at Leslie Groves Park; that individual was cited and released.

Both chiefs said they were grateful for interagency cooperation and for the performance of staff and volunteers over a busy holiday weekend.