Fourth of July nearly flame-free for Bainbridge firefighters

Emergency responders and police on Bainbridge Island had a relatively quiet Fourth of July holiday, officials said Monday.

Emergency responders and police on Bainbridge Island had a relatively quiet Fourth of July holiday, officials said Monday.

Bainbridge Island Fire Marshal Luke Carpenter said the Bainbridge Island Fire Department responded to just one fireworks-related incident over the Independence Day holiday.

Carpenter said the fire department was called to the scene of a small grass fire just after 9 p.m. Friday, July 4 that was close to a home on Eakin Drive.

The fire was caused by a bottle rocket, Carpenter said, but was being doused as firefighters arrived.

“The homeowner put it out with a fire extinguisher and a garden hose,” he said.

Despite the lack of incidents attributed to fireworks, fire department personnel stayed busy on July 4. In the 24-hour period of the holiday, the department responded to 11 service calls; most were medic-related.

“Actually, for us, it was a busy day,” Carpenter said.

Bainbridge Island has a reputation for havoc-free Fourths of July, however.

“Our citizens are good. We tend to buck the trend in the rest of the county, which has a very busy and active Fourth of July,” Carpenter said.

“Our folks are pretty good. Lots of people were shooting off fireworks, but it was done properly and it was done safely,” he said.

Bainbridge Island Police Chief Matthew Hamner said there were no noteworthy incidents for police during the Independence Day holiday or during the celebration in Winslow, the island’s biggest party of the year and an event that draws thousands to downtown streets.