Wichita city council members heard a report Tuesday on fireworks activity during the July 4th holiday period.   The report listed five fires related to fireworks and 39 injuries related to fireworks.

Battalion chief Jose Ocadiz said the property loss from fires in 2023 was $60,000, down 66 percent from the previous year.   The number of injuries was consistent with the five-year average.  The year-over-year fireworks injuries have increased, with mortar-artillery shells as the leading cause of injury.

The special fireworks hotline that was in operation from June 30th to July 5th had 1,046 calls, down from 1,224 the previous year.

The city launched a fireworks information campaign and began allowing aerial fireworks during a specified period of time.   Ocadiz said the city’s fireworks committee is facing several questions and challenges for the next year, including addressing concerns over aerial fireworks, deciding whether to allow aerial fireworks over a reduced time period from July 3rd to July 5th, and developing an equitable strategy to address fireworks sales in Wichita.

Some of the highlights of the report:

• WFD Operations crews patrolled the City from June 27th through July 5th;
• Firework Enforcement Teams patrolled the City from June 30th – July 5th, resulting in five
  citations;
• Emergency Communications (911) reported 1,046 non-emergent calls from June 30th– July 5th;
  736 were related to fireworks;
• WFD was dispatched to a total of 67 firework-related incidents;
• WFD responded to five working fires related to fireworks;
• Four structure fires (two confirmed as related to fireworks; two fires with other possible causes of
  ignition);
• One construction site fire (Amidon Bridge);
• Property loss due to firework-related fires was estimated at $60,000;
• 39 citizens of Wichita sought medical attention for fireworks-related injuries;
• Victims ranged in age from nine months to 59 years old: 27 were male, 11 were female, and one
  remains unknown; and
• The leading cause of injury for 2023 was mortar/artillery shells, followed by unknown cause and
  smoke bombs.