Impaired drivers, illegal fireworks and house fires mark Independence Day

A fiery Fourth of July with dozens of suspected impaired drivers and thousands of pounds of illegal fireworks kept Las Vegas valley law enforcement busy.

In a statement Thursday, the Metropolitan Police Department wrote that 61 people were cited for having illegal fireworks, and 2,537 pounds of contraband were confiscated as part of the “You Light It, We Write It” taskforce.

Firefighters blamed illegal fireworks for an increase in fires from Tuesday to Wednesday compared to the same time last year.

Clark County Fire Chief John Steinbeck said more than 100 fires, from trees, brush and trash cans to single family homes were set on fire from noon July 4 to noon July 5.

North Las Vegas firefighters responded to 151 calls between 8 a.m. July 4 and 8 a.m. July 5. A spokesperson for the department said 45 of those were fires, and although no buildings were ablaze from fireworks, one car caught fire.

There were no injuries reported.

During the same time period, Henderson Fire Department responded to 13 fires related to fireworks, the department wrote in a statement.

Combined, North Las Vegas and Henderson police arrested 15 people on suspected impaired driving on July 4. Metro arrested eight people Tuesday night on suspicion of DUI. During a DUI blitz Saturday night, officers arrested another 18 suspected impaired drivers and cited 67.

Metro officers said during their 161 traffic stops Tuesday night, five firearms were impounded.

Contact Sabrina Schnur at sschnur@reviewjournal.com or 702-383-0278. Follow @sabrina_schnur on Twitter.