Just days after the Fourth of July celebrations throughout South Kitsap, Guy Dalrymple is counting his blessings — and possibly thanking the rain gods.
South Kitsap Fire and Rescue’s deputy chief said his fire district prepared for a wild, record-breaking Independence Day like they faced last year on the Fourth.
In 2015, the fire district responded to 51 calls. And just in one summer month last year, firefighters were kept busy dousing 10 brush fires throughout the southern part of the county.
This year was different.
Just 33 calls for the fire district were received by CENCOM’s 911 on July 4, and SKFR responded to only two brush fires.
Anticipating a similar situation this year, the fire district had been developing a response plan since January. “Actually, we began thinking about it since July 5th last year,” Dalrymple said. As a result, “We planned well and staffed up,” he said.
At 2 p.m. on July 4, Dalrymple and a number of chief officers — anticipating a hectic day — manned their command post. But a serendipitous event happened just as they began work: It started to rain.
“Rain does wonderful things,” he said. “We did our happy dance.”
A stretch of cloudy, sometimes drizzly conditions during the weeks leading up to the Fourth this year also helped. And cooler temperatures and cloud cover kept the grass and brush from drying up.
Dalrymple said he recalls that Fourth of July celebrations in past years more often than not have been rainy. Last year was unusual, he said of the scorching, dry conditions that led to tinder-dry grasslands and forests.
Why the change from last year? Dalrymple said a number of factors most likely contributed to a quieter celebration for SKFR. Other than the welcome rain shower, he believes much of the credit goes to a more-vigilant community. “I want to give our citizens a lot of credit,” he said. “They learned from last year.”
With the Fourth falling on a Monday, the prospect of dealing with partied-up revelers at the end of a weekend also didn’t materialize.
One nagging concern for the deputy chief, however, is the growing popularity of sky lanterns, whose use is banned in Kitsap County. Much like hot-air balloons, these tissue-thin boxes no bigger than a milk carton become airborne, propelled by hot air generated by a lighted wax fuel cell. While lovely to look at as they drift skyward, their trajectory is at the mercy of the wind.
“You have no control over them,” Dalrymple said of the lanterns. He said they are a danger to grasslands and forests when they run out of fuel and plunge to earth. While they aren’t legally sold at fireworks stands, the lanterns often are purchased instead online or bought at nearby reservation stands.
Dalrymple said he spotted about a dozen of the lanterns head skyward, launched somewhere in Manchester, as he sat on his front deck watching the fireworks show.
“I was sitting there gritting my teeth but thankful it was wet,” he said. A few minutes later, one of the lanterns fell to the ground — in his front yard.
“The fuel cell was still burning. If it had been on dry grass, that would have been a problem.”
Port Orchard Police
Cmdr. Dale Schuster of the Port Orchard Police said his department also noted fewer issues this year. “We had less people watching the fireworks downtown than last year, but more fireworks,” Schuster said.
Only one arrest was made downtown. Schuster said a man was arrested at the waterfront after he threatened to shoot an officer.
Vehicles leaving the downtown area departed fairly quickly, he said. The department planned to launch its police boat July 4 but was unable to do so because of a manpower shortage.
