Burn Ban Enforcement In Fort Wayne

     In Allen County there were 24 complaints about people lighting fireworks and violating the burn ban yesterday.  In the City of Fort Wayne, there were 144 complaints and about 6 verbal warning.

     The fourth of July just doesn't feel the same without fireworks; it is an Independence Day tradition.  But in Allen County and surrounding counties thing like bon fires, camp fires and ignition of fireworks have been banned indefinitely, likely to be lifted when the drought conditions improve. Fort Wayne Police Department Spokesperson Raquel Foster says "Trees catch on fire, grass catches on fire, spreads to homes to cars to people and so that threat exists so that's something we have to do is enforcement and make sure citizens comply with the ban." 

     By comply with the ban, the Fort Wayne Police department mostly means educating the public about the damage that can be done.  After nearly 150 fireworks complaints yesterday no arrests were made.  They say it's hard to know exactly who is doing the lighting.  Foster says "They can tell you the general vicinity of where those fireworks are being lit but its very rare that they can actually identify who your perpetrator is, so that's the biggest challenge."

     In Elkhart County, residents on Westwood Drive could identify exactly who was doing the fireworks.  After the lawn at 1213 Westwood Drive caught fire and spread to three neighboring lawns, residents pointed the alleged fire-starters, 25-year-old Jay Zheng and 29 year-old Joe Dorbin, out to police.  The men are facing misdemeanors for violation of an emergency order.

     In Fort Wayne, no one was arrested because they did not catch anyone red-handed.  Foster says "It's the law, that the way the law was written, it's a crime that has to be witnesses by a police officer there's no budging on that."

     In the Elkhart County fire, the grass fire was extinguished quickly, no people were injured and there was no structural damage.