Fourth of July a busy day for Yuma firefighters

The Fourth of July holiday was a busy day for the Yuma Fire Department, with crews responding to several dumpster fires, two house fires and multiple smaller fires thought to have been caused by fireworks.

Shortly after 4:15 p.m., the fire department began receiving reports of dumpster fires coming from the Main Street area of downtown Yuma, according to spokesperson Mike Erfert.

Erfert said when firefighters arrived on scene, they found a dumpster on fire near the Kress building at 284 S. Main St. and saw a person running from the area.

The dumpster fire was quickly extinguished and the person seen running was apprehended by Yuma police officers. The area was checked and four additional fires were located and extinguished by firefighters.

“These fires were determined to have been intentionally set,” Erfert said.

Yuma police officers later arrested a suspect, Blase Anthony Smith, on multiple misdemeanor charges, including arson.

Then between 10:10 p.m. and 10:45 p.m. firefighters responded to three different fires that were believed to have been caused by fireworks.

At 10:12 p.m. a house fire was reported in the 1300 block of South 22nd Drive, where a wood shingle roof was found to be on fire and was quickly extinguished. A person inside had not been aware of the fire and was not injured.

Remnants of expended fireworks were found nearby and the house was able to be reoccupied.

A few minutes after the house fire was reported, a dumpster was reported to be on fire at 1350 W. Colorado St. That fire was also quickly extinguished and appeared to have been started by fireworks landing in the dumpster.

A third fire was reported at about 10:45 p.m. in the area of 12th Street and Pagent Avenue. A trash container and wooden fence were found to be on fire and quickly extinguished.

That fire was believed to have been caused by expended fireworks being put into the container and the fireworks reigniting.

Finally at about 2:25 a.m. another house fire was reported in the 900 block of South 47th Avenue. Firefighters arrived to find a vehicle on fire parked in front of a garage.

The vehicle was fully engulfed, with the flames beginning to spread to the garage and the eaves of the house. Firefighters quickly extinguished this fire.

There were no injuries and the home was able to be reoccupied. The cause of this fire was determined to be arson (not connected to previous arson fires mentioned earlier) and the criminal investigation is being conducted by the Yuma Police Department.

Also during this period more than a dozen other emergency medical responses occurred and mutual aid was also provided to the San Luis Fire Department.