Fireworks trigger fights and fires across Pittsburgh

Complaints were popping almost as fast as a string of firecrackers as Pittsburghers celebrated the Fourth of July.

According to the city’s Fireworks Taskforce, investigators from the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police and the Bureau of Fire, answered 131 fireworks complaints on Saturday and then were forced to triage another 125 calls that came in shortly after midnight on Sunday. The Pittsburgh Bureau of EMS also kept busy, answering many of the calls along with police and firefighters.

In addition to a number of small brush and dumpster fires triggered by fireworks, a post on the city’s police blotter said some of the more serious incidents included:

• A fight over fireworks between neighbors in the 200 block of Lowrie Street that ended with five people being transported to local hospitals.

• A large brush fire in the 1500 block of Eckert Street, triggered by fireworks.

• A two-alarm residential fire in the 100 block of Orchard place, triggered by fireworks from a large block party on Jacunda Street.

• A single alarm residential structure fire in the 700 block of Bucyrus Street, the result of a display box tipping and shooting into the side of a residence after fireworks were launched from it.

Police said a number of citations were issued and charges are pending for some of the more serious incidents.