Illegal firework blamed in Vancouver house fire

An illegal bottle rocket sparked a fire that did about $85,000 worth of damage Friday to a house in east Vancouver.

Investigators are looking for a white teenage boy in a white T-shirt who was seen setting off the firework.

The fire was reported about 7:50 p.m. in the Ellsworth Springs neighborhood.

“A neighbor was looking out a front window and noticed a 14-year-old white male walk into the middle of the street. He lit a bottle rocket and shot it off,” Heidi Scarpelli, Vancouver fire marshal, said Saturday afternoon.

“The neighbor was going to tell the kid to clean up the mess,” Scarpelli said.

The juvenile was gone by the time the neighbor got outside and saw that bushes next to the house at 307 S.E. 105th Ave. were on fire. The flames quickly advanced, spread into the attic and ignited the roof of the 1,000-square-foot, ranch-style house.

All occupants were safely out of the house when Vancouver Fire Department crews arrived.

“The firefighters had to pull down two-thirds of the ceiling in the interior,” Scarpelli said.

Damages were estimated at about $60,000 to the three-bedroom house and $25,000 to its contents. The occupants did have renter’s insurance and the owners have full fire coverage, Scarpelli said.

The house is not habitable; the Red Cross is helping the occupants.

Someone who sets off that sort of firework is subject to a $500 fine, Scarpelli noted.

“It’s past the window of being legal, and it’s an illegal device on top of that,” she said. And now, the property owner could pursue a civil action in court.

People with information are asked to call the Vancouver Fire Marshal’s office, 360-487-7219.

“I’d like to stress to the community: We have a recreational burn ban, and it’s in place for a reason,” she said.

Recreational burning is banned in La Center, Battle Ground and unincorporated Clark County due to the extreme dry weather. The areas joined Vancouver, which banned recreational fires Wednesday.

That means no campfires, outdoor fire pits or fireplaces, or portable fireplaces. Using gas and charcoal barbecues is OK, as are self-contained camp stoves.

The Friday fire will be part of the discussion at a city council fireworks workshop on Aug. 17, Scarpelli said.

“We will have the 2015 report and possible policy options. The city council will explore the status quo, further limits, or a ban. I will be able to give more of a full report on the fireworks season.”

Typically, Scarpelli said, the annual fireworks statistics cover a period from June 28 to July 5. Not this year.

“We have had outliers this year,” she said.