Personal fireworks are believed to have caused $824,500 in property damage across Clark County during this month’s Fourth of July festivities.
Authorities also handed out $11,750 in fines to people for shooting off fireworks outside of allowed times. Of the 46 citations the Vancouver Fire Marshal issued, only one was for an illegal firework, Lead Deputy Fire Marshal Chris Drone said Monday. The rest were for discharging fireworks within city limits on days other than July 4, the only day it’s legal to use them in Vancouver.
The city is still pulling together statistics about the total number of fireworks-related fires, including grass and brush fires, the city fire marshal’s office said Monday.
Although several homes and vehicles went up in flames, no injuries to people were reported.
Here is a summary of the major property damage estimates:
• On July 3, a tipped-over firework ignited an arborvitae bush. The flames spread to a pickup truck and the siding and roof of a neighbor’s house at 3507 N.E. 157th Ave. In another incident, two vehicles were destroyed. Damage: $46,000.
• Fireworks are suspected as the cause of a July 4 fire that destroyed two Sunrise Acres mobile homes at 6912 N.E. 131st Ave., Vancouver. Two cats died. One displaced resident said he believed he saw fireworks launched before the fire started. The Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating. Damage: $293,000.
• Fireworks caused a blaze early July 5 at a two-story duplex at 1601 S.E. 146th Court in east Vancouver. Damage: $400,000.
• An improvised firework started a grass fire July 9 that damaged a vacant house at 3312 R St., Vancouver. Damage: $500.
• A bottle rocket sparked a fire July 10 at a home at 307 S.E. 105th Ave., Vancouver. Damage: $85,000.
In response to dozens of citizens’ complaints, the Vancouver City Council on Aug. 17 will hold a workshop to discuss the possibility of banning personal fireworks. By state statute, changes to fireworks laws take one year to go into effect. That means if the council did adopt an all-out ban or enact an ordinance allowing declaration of an emergency fireworks ban during times of extreme fire danger, the new regulations wouldn’t apply until after July 4, 2016.
The Clark County council hasn’t expressed an interest in a personal fireworks ban for unincorporated parts of the county.
