For the first time in several years, the Clark County Fire Marshal’s office was not called to investigate any structure fires within unincorporated Clark County during the holiday
Although officials say Clark County made it through this Fourth of July relatively unscathed, Vancouver resident Todd Pedersen was on high alert.
The grassy field that separates his abode from the Cedar Lane Apartments at 3201 E. 33rd St. is a tinderbox. Three years ago, firefighters had to use his yard to extinguish a blaze that nearly engulfed his home. Every Fourth of July, Pedersen is worried about a repeat incident.
He rushed outside his home around 6 p.m. Thursday when he heard the first crackling of fireworks to see smoke billowing from the adjacent field. Two people were attempting to smother a small fire with a T-shirt, but ended up fanning the flames, Pedersen said.
“It kept spreading and we called 911, and they sent four tanker trucks,” Pedersen said. “It came up to maybe 3 feet away from our fence line.”
Pedersen’s garden hose was of modest help. On Friday morning, he went out and bought two 100-foot hoses.
“I want to make sure it doesn’t happen again,” he said. “(Fireworks) can be a pretty dangerous thing.”
Hot weather and dry conditions raised fire concerns this year, and local fire agencies bolstered staff and resources.
“We had two reports of fireworks causing personal injury; one serious, one minor,” said interim Clark County Fire Marshal Donna Goddard in an email Friday. “But for the first time in several years, the fire marshal’s office was not called to investigate any structure fires within unincorporated Clark County last night.”
She added that firefighting crews throughout the county were called to many vegetation fires likely caused by fireworks.
“Crews worked throughout the day and night responding to calls,” she said.
David Schmitke, a spokesman for Clark County Fire District 6, provided a similar report. He said that “typical chaos ensued” but that there were “no major structure fires.”
“We had a random assortment of bark dust fires, fences burning and just going from one fire to the next,” he said. “Fortunately, they were all pretty small, and nothing got out of control.”
Fireworks-related calls can overwhelm 911 dispatchers on the Fourth of July. That’s why the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency set up the Clark County regional fireworks violations call center in 2021.
“It lets people call us with their concerns without taking time away from dispatchers,” spokesman Scott Johnson said.
This year, the call center opened between July 1 and 5. Residents were asked not to call 911 or 311 for the purpose of reporting nuisance fireworks. Only call 911 in an emergency when there is a fire, injury or lives are in danger, officials said.
Operators with the fireworks line answered some 400 calls Thursday and about 150 calls Wednesday, according to Johnson. They also received 300 written reports through an online form, bringing the total number of reports to about 850.
In 2023, the call center received 1,492 between July 1 and 5, and 117 people completed the online form, according to a Clark County fireworks report.
On an average day, the 911 dispatch center receives about 1,500 calls, Johnson said. On Thursday, they received about 2,600 calls.
Although the holiday is over, dry conditions persist, and officials warn that fireworks could still cause trouble.
“Residents should not be tempted to discharge any unused fireworks in the coming days,” Doddard said. “Not only is it prohibited, but the continued hot and dry weather conditions add to an increased fire danger. Please save any unused fireworks for New Year’s Eve.”
Fireworks are banned in some areas of Clark County, including within Vancouver city limits. A map with updated fireworks regulations is available at clark.wa.gov/community-development/fireworks.
