Fire below West 39th, Olive streets in Lincoln neighborhood briefly threatens homes

A spotty fire in brush and brier patches along Olive Street briefly threatened homes up the hill Tuesday afternoon, but firefighters were able to knock it down.

The fire burned on the hillside along Olive Street, past where it turns from West 36th Avenue. Someone called the fire in at around 4:30 p.m. Vancouver Fire Department Battalion Chief Chris Lines said the fire produced ample smoke for the several homes at the top of the hill.

Lines said the fire burned in multiple spots along the base of the hillside, along the length of the roadway. A resident up top had a garden hose at the ready, he said, but firefighters were able to calm the blaze.

“We got out right away and knocked it down,” he said.

Firefighters from the city and Fire District 6 responded, as did a crew from the state Department of Natural Resources.

The call was dispatched with the suspicion fireworks were involved. Lines said around 6 p.m. that fire marshals were investigating, but there was no firm indication of a cause.

“Somebody heard a boom,” he said, but it could have easily been automobile noise or a boom from the rail cars just west of the fire area.

Fireworks debris were visible in the cul-de-sac at the end of Olive Street, but there was no indication they weren’t from Monday nights Fourth of July festivities.