Anchorage police reported Sunday that they received just a few dozen calls reporting fireworks over the Fourth of July holiday, a bit of good news as the city remains under strict burn restrictions in the face of dry conditions primed for fires.
The Anchorage Police Department said in a release that they received 34 calls reporting fireworks between 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 a.m. Sunday, with four citations issued for using fireworks illegally within city limits. The fine for using fireworks in the municipality is $300.
The citations came as part of a patrol dedicated to enforcing fireworks restrictions; the department had earlier announced a "zero-tolerance" policy toward the pyrotechnics as dry weather has persisted in Alaska's largest city and much of the state has seen record-setting wildfires.
"In addition to the fireworks citations, patrol officers assigned to the fireworks detail issued two minor consuming citations, two citations for open burn, one warrant service and two DUI arrest," separate of other DUI-enforcement efforts, Anchorage police said.