AUSTIN, Texas — Austin-area fire crews had a busy Fourth of July.
On July 5, the Austin Fire Department initially said that between the hours of 8 p.m. and midnight the previous day, the department and 11 surrounding Travis County fire departments responded to 90 brush, dumpster, grass and trash fires. AFD said the Cedar Park and Round Rock fire departments also assisted and that "presumably most were fireworks related."
AFD said the fires were mostly small grass, dumpster and trash fires, but several reached one to two acres in size. AFD said crews also responded to three structure fires, but their causes had not been reported yet.
Meanwhile, Lake Travis fire crews confirmed they received a call about a grass fire at around 11:45 p.m. on July 4, at 17000 Rocky Ridge Road, near Hudson Bend Road. Crews were able to keep the small grass fire at Paradise Cove Marina contained and it was extinguished at around 12:20 a.m. Fireworks are being investigated as the possible cause of the fire.
Later on July 5, AFD updated its total fire numbers, saying that in the last 24 hours, all the Travis County fire departments combined responded to 143 brush, grass, dumpster and trash fires. Crews also responded to 10 structure fires, mostly with minor or no damage.
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