An Oakland family’s car was destroyed over the Fourth of July weekend after illegal fireworks sparked a blaze that brought down power lines, highlighting a chaotic holiday that prompted more than 800 emergency calls across the city. The fire broke out near 96th Avenue and Plymouth Street. A res ident, identified as Yomara, said her family went outside to watch fireworks and found a nearby tree in flames. The fire quickly spread to their parked car underneath. “My husband tried to run to move the cars, but by then the power lines had already fallen on top of them,” she said. Witnesses watched helplessly as the flames engulfed the vehicle. “The windows busted out, the hood popped off, the battery flew out, and just boom! That’s what it sounded like,” one witness said. “All the windows, everything went.” The incident was part of a widespread surge of illegal fireworks activity across the Bay Area. In another instance at Bancroft and 57th Avenue, video captured a driver doing donuts in an intersection while passengers fired Roman candles from the vehicle. The Oakland Fire Department reported receiving more than 800 calls over the holiday, mostly related to unlawful fireworks and fires. However, officials noted there were fewer major fires compared to previous years. Oakland Fire Chief Damon Covington credited the department’s increased staffing and roving engines for keeping the damage contained. “Crews responded very quickly and were able to get those fires out before they really got going and turned into a large-scale fire,” Covington said. Oakland Police Capt. Dave Burke reminded residents of the broader impacts of the dangerous displays, noting that illegal fireworks “can have a profound effect on the elderly, youth, and also animals.” Police said additional citations related to illegal fireworks could still be issued and urged residents to continue reporting dangerous activity. Despite the high volume of emergency calls, officials reported no fireworks-related injuries in Oakland or Alameda County over the holiday weekend. ...read more read less