BAKERSFIELD, Calif. (KGET) \u2014 As they predicted, the Kern County Fire Department said that this past Independence Day was one of the busiest days of the year.<\/p>\n
The day and evening on the holiday is full of fire threats, fueled by illegal fireworks and firecrackers, which in turn fed into an increase of 911 calls and reports to the fire department.<\/p>\n
On this year\u2019s Fourth of July alone, the Kern County Fire Department responded to nearly 360 emergency incidents<\/a>, marking a 45% increase than the year before.<\/p>\n Firefighters also responded to 203 fires on Saturday\u2019s holiday \u2014 a 44% increase from 2025, too.<\/p>\n \u201cTo ensure firefighters could respond quickly to emergencies across Kern County, the department implemented a pre-planned staffing increase of 179 personnel, adding firefighters, dispatchers, and support staff in strategic locations before the holiday began,\u201d KCFD said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe additional staffing allowed crews to respond more effectively to the heightened demand while maintaining coverage throughout the county.\u201d<\/p>\n Additionally, Kern County\u2019s Emergency Communications Center fielded 1,368 emergency 911 calls on July 4 \u2014 a 38% increase from 2025.<\/p>\n Watch 17 News, After Sunrise and more local news free on your smart TV. Click to learn more about KGET+ <\/a><\/p>\n Through the Illegal Fireworks Reporter online portal service, the county received about 3,500 reports of illicit fireworks on July 4. There were about 4,400 reports last year.<\/p>\n Prior to Independence day, the department had been urging county residents to report firework-related complaints through the illegal fireworks portal rather than calling 911.<\/p>\n \u201cThe continued use of online reporting helped reduce non-emergency phone traffic into the Emergency Communications Center, allowing dispatchers to prioritize life-threatening incidents and quickly assign firefighters to active emergencies,\u201d KCFD stated.<\/p>\n The holiday was also a busy day for the Bakersfield Fire Department.<\/p>\n BFD told 17 News on Monday that they responded to 67 fire calls, four house fires, one commercial fire and reported about $1 million in fire damages.<\/p>\n