By Daniel Lapham/Staff writer

El Reno’s Fourth of July weekend ended with a positive bang - fewer fires than in the past and only one reported hospital visit, according to fire and hospital officials.

Fire Chief Kent Lagaly said in previous years, he could always count on fires to pop up on the Fourth, but this year “people used their heads. On Friday we had a couple of fires. They were just little grass fires after dark from some people being a little careless. Then on Saturday we had a couple of calls. We had nothing big, they were all spot fires.”

Lagaly said approximately 80 percent of the calls were outside El Reno’s city limits, where fireworks are legal.

“For the most part, people used their common sense and obeyed the law. It was a good celebration,” Lagaly said.

Parkview ambulance director Ray Simpson said even though he had a busy weekend in some of the rural areas west of El Reno, there were no major fireworks-related incidents. “We had several motor vehicle accidents in the area,” Simpson said. “We had no fireworks-related injuries that I know of.”

Parkview emergency room director Pam Broyles said it was pretty quiet for the most part.

“It looks like as far as fireworks-related injuries, we only saw one child with burns,” Broyles said.

Police Chief Ken Brown agreed with Lagaly on the decrease in the number of calls they received regarding fireworks in the city limits.

“We responded to around 30 fireworks violations,” Brown said. “There were no serious incidents to speak of. We had 14 people working on Friday and Saturday night.”

Brown said the annual fireworks celebration at Lake El Reno went off without a hitch.

“I would estimate between 300 and 500 people at the lake,” Lagaly said. “There was nothing out of the ordinary.”

A larger crowd reportedly gathered at Lucky Star Casino on Friday night for an evening of celebration.

“It was amazing,” said Roxie Meade, an employee at Lucky Star. “This was the biggest and best we have ever had. People were lighting fireworks everywhere.

“I thought it had already started when we got here because there were so many fireworks being set off before the main event.”

Meade said the Lucky Star security department estimated a crowd of 4,500 people attended the celebration.