Nueces County Emergency Services District 2 is adding staffing and staging extra brush trucks on Padre Island this Fourth of July weekend, working alongside Corpus Christi Fire to respond to — and prevent — fireworks-related fires.
The Fourth of July is one of the busiest nights of the year for fire crews, and Padre Island is no exception. ESD 2's brush trucks are built specifically for the island's dunes and fields, designed to reach areas where standard fire trucks would get stuck in the sand.
Fire Chief Weston Beseda said the holiday brings a predictable surge in illegal fireworks activity.
"Predominantly with the big holidays, 4th of July, New Year's Eve, we do see a lot of fireworks in our area, in our communities, on our beaches. We do understand they are illegal, but it always doesn't stop people," Beseda said.
Recent rainfall has reduced some of the fire risk, but Beseda said conditions are still dangerous.
"The recent rain has really been a blessing, but there is still a lot of vegetation within the sand dunes and the beach areas that it was dead prior to the rainfall, so there's still a fire danger," Beseda said.
Wind is another major concern for crews working the island.
"Wind is not our friend, and with the right wind, you can see fires double and triple in size in a matter of minutes," Beseda said.
The brush trucks are central to ESD 2's response strategy, built to handle the island's varied and difficult terrain.
"These trucks can pretty much go anywhere and through anything, whether there's soggy vegetation, dry vegetation, the sand. These trucks are built to make the responses that we need them to make," Beseda said.
Beseda said he expects bigger crowds and busier nights than usual this year. ESD 2 is asking the public to be smart about fireworks use this holiday weekend.
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