The Yuma Fire Department responded to 198 emergency calls for services 10 Commercial Assignments Including: A palm tree fire, and various false alarms 1 Mutual Aid Assignment Including: assisting the Yuma County Sheriff’s Office with a body recovery 10 Motor Vehicle Crashes Including: 1 involving a pedestrian, and 2 involving three vehicles 159 Other Medical Emergencies (serious to minor) Including: 19 for difficulty breathing, 6 for chest pain, 21 fall victims, 23 unconscious people, 6 seizure cases, 3 diabetic emergencies, 4 possible stroke cases, 2 calls for an overheated person, 2 suicidal patients, 4 possible overdose cases, 2 allergic reaction, 1 woman in labor, 1 infant locked inside of a vehicle and misc. other illnesses and injuries. 16 Special Duty, Public Assistance, and Residential Assignments Including: A residential fire, a pole on fire, a fire intentionally set to a cardboard box that spread and destroyed a wheat field, juveniles setting leaves on fire behind a business, 2 vehicle fires, an ammonia leak from a portable cooling equipment trailer, and various alarms Last week an entire an un-harvested wheat field was lost due to a fire that spread from its original location. A fire was intentionally set to some cardboard and then spread to the nearby field with heavy winds. This reminds us that we live in an arid area that does present risks for fire. - Use extreme care in the use of all fire, and potential fire causing activities, whether it is for industrial, home, or recreational use. - Make sure campfires and smoking materials are fully extinguished. - Use spark arrestors in mechanical equipment such as chain saws and off-road vehicles. - When you pull off a roadway, be sure not to park in grassy areas. - Check the regulations on fires. Many areas will be closed to all fires (including charcoal grills) due to the extreme dry conditions - Be aware of other weather conditions, such as the wind speed and direction. Un-permitted fires are unlawful and also result in unnecessary Fire Department responses. Fortunately Yuma does not have much of the “wildland-urban interface” where brush and forest lands enter into our community, but we do have large amounts of agricultural land. Traditionally our biggest threat has been along the river. Development of parkland areas along the river, like the West and East Wetlands, has reduced the threat to the community by reducing fuel and adding green space areas. However, this threat is not completely eliminated and if you are traveling to other areas of our state or surrounding states, please use caution and obey all fire regulations. Every year, wildfires account for millions of dollars in property damage, and cause serious injuries and deaths. Safety is no accident!
