"I don't think we had as many calls as we did last year," said Sgt. Sandra Douglas of the Contra Costa County Sheriff's Delta stationhouse.
All in all, Douglas said that while they didn't make any arrests that night, they did confiscate two boxes of fireworks - one comprised of safe and sane fireworks (fireworks that are legal in other counties) and one box of illegal fireworks.
In order to have a good handle on what was being shot up in the air this year, the Sheriff's department set up a formal command post near the town's center at the shopping center located at the corner of Discovery Bay Boulevard and Riverlake Road. Sheriff's officials believe that the centralized location made it easier for their units to patrol all of Discovery Bay.
"I think being in the middle of the week helped too, since people had to get up and go to work (on Thursday)," said Douglas.
On the Delta waterways, Marine Patrol Sgt. Doug Powell said that while the department's five boats stayed busy patrolling boaters, they really had no problems with fireworks. "We had several arrests for boating under the influence … issued 30 citations … contacted over 100 boaters (with warnings) and education," Powell said.
As for fire calls in the water community, East Contra Costa Fire Protection officials said
that the town of Discovery Bay had only one brush fire, on Lido Circle, which was put out by neighbors before the engines arrived. The cause of the midnight fire is still under investigation.
"Our campaign in order to lower our fires due to fireworks worked," said ECCFPD Battalion Chief Jeff Burris. "That end of our district remained fairly quiet. It was pretty nice."
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