While islanders enjoyed a holiday weekend packed with picnics, parades and fireworks, police officers and firefighters were busy extinguishing fires and responding to a plethora of fireworks-related complaints.

Overall, however, it appears islanders largely enjoyed a safe and sane three-day holiday.

“The Fourth of July is the busiest weekend of the year,” said Jan Smith, spokeswoman for the Island County Sheriff’s Office, adding that all personnel, reserves and Citizens on Patrol worked this weekend.

She said the extra help was needed to deal with the increased numbers of visitors to Whidbey Island and holiday events that included fireworks displays and two parades.

Since Saturday at midnight, the Island County Sheriff’s Office received 59 fireworks complaints, responded to seven car accidents and eight burn complaints.

One of the more notable incidents occurred Sunday morning when a motorist found a large, homemade firecracker on a road.

The person picked up the explosive, which was five inches long and one inch in diameter, wrapped in electrical tape with a fuse, and turned it in to firefighters at the Monroe Landing Road Fire Station, said Commander Mike Beech of the Island County Sheriff’s Office.

He said the homemade device, along with all fireworks confiscated during the season, will eventually be turned over to an Explosive Ordnance Disposal detachment at Whidbey Island Naval Air Station.

Despite concerns about fireworks being set off over a dry holiday weekend, firefighters weren’t as busy as they as expected to be.

Fire District 2 responded to four fireworks-related fires over the weekend. However, those fires weren’t serious, said Fire Chief Marv Koorn.

He added that firefighters kept busy visiting various beaches in the district to educate people about fireworks.

“It was a good year for us,” Koorn said, adding that the firefighters’ visibility and people’s caution over the Fourth of July made for a relatively quiet weekend.

The Oak Harbor Police Department had a similar situation.

“It seemed like there were fewer fireworks-related complaints from citizens,” said Captain Rick Wallace.

Although he didn’t have any numbers tabulated by Tuesday morning, he said there weren’t any major incidents in Oak Harbor and that officers wrote approximately five citations concerning illegal fireworks.

Police officials warned in advance they would emphasize enforcement this year and issue citations for fireworks violations. Even with that emphasis, Wallace said it can be hard to issue a lot of citations because officers have to witness a violation taking place.

Wallace cited more awareness of the fire danger as the reason for a slower weekend.

Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue responded to five brush fires over the weekend in addition to numerous smaller fires that were normally extinguished before firefighters arrived.

Captain Robert Spinner said one of the brush fires, which occurred near North Bluff Road, appeared to be fireworks related. He attributed the other fires to dry conditions, which were dry enough for the Island County Fire Marshal to institute a burn ban last week.

Spinner added that Central Whidbey firefighters didn’t see any injuries related to the holiday.

Whidbey General Hospital, however, experienced an active weekend.

The emergency room normally sees about 40 people a day. From Saturday through Monday, emergency room staff saw between 49 and 62 people a day.

Trish Rose, spokeswoman for Whidbey General Hospital, said most of the patients were treated for cuts and sprains, and doctors didn’t see many burns that might be associated with fireworks.