It was a frustrating hours that had a several Newark Firefighter heading in every direction over last weekend.
It actually began with Newark responding to a serious vehicle accident on Route 31 by the Walmart store on Saturday (7/4) around noon. The injures were minor, but the vehicle was extensively damaged.
At 7:45 p.m. the Newark Fire department aided the Lyons Fire Department at an extensive house fire at 39 Elm Street in Lyons. The house was deemed a total loss.
At 10:52 p.m. Newark was dispatched to a garage at 35 East Union Street. Miguel Baez was shooting off fireworks, when an errant rocket strayed into the garage. It lit up a mattress stored inside and ended up scorching the garage interior. The homeowner began fighting the blaze with a garden hose before Newark firefighters arrived and beat down the blaze.
Without a moment to spare, firefighters received a call at 11:25 p.m. of two vehicle ablaze at 14 Mobile Parkway. A Kia car, belonging to Brenda Rivera, began burning after spent and unspent fireworks were put in the vehicle and began exploding. Both cars parked by the trailer home were destroyed, but the nearby mobile home received only minor siding damage thanks to the quick response by the Newark Fire crew.
The next call came in at 11:59 p.m. The Newark firefighter at the car fires were unable to roll up their hoses and quickly responded to a dumpster fire at 204 Church Street. July 4th partiers placed spent fireworks in the dumpster, closely snuggled between two residences. The flames shot up in the air and scorched the siding on one of the house before being quickly beat down by the Newark Fire crew.
At 12:06 a.m., minutes after the dumpster fire broke out, Newark firefighters answered yet another call at 209 Stansell Street in the Village. There, fireworks set off a grass fire that spread to a nearby porch occupied by Courtney Malkowski and Dwayne Falbru. The quick actions of the now overworked volunteers saved the fire from spreading to the house.
“It was frustrating for us, but kind of what we do,” said First Assistant Newark Fire Chief Chuck Witt. He admitted the small crew had to split to answer all the calls and often leave the scenes in rapid succession, without rolling up the hoses.
Both Newark Chief Kevin Velte and Assistant Witt expressed concern of the unapproved use of fireworks. Chief Velte commended his firefighters for the holiday weekend fire flurry.
Newark Village Police Chief Mark Thoms said no charges would be placed against any of the illegal fireworks partiers, since they probably learned their lesson.
