Spent fireworks cause Vancouver house fire

Improperly stored fireworks caused a fire at a Vancouver home this morning.

Vancouver Fire Department responded to a structure fire at 1203 N.E. Cedar Ridge Loop at 6:18 a.m. An investigation by the fire marshal identified the cause of the blaze as the improper storage of spent fireworks, Capt. Kevin Murray said.

The spent fireworks were placed in a paper bag and set by the home. The fireworks ignited the bag and burned the outside of the home. Smoke filled the attic, but the blaze didn’t spread into the home, Murray said.

The fire caused about $25,000 in damage, he said.

Hot material – like spent fireworks, fire pit ashes and barbecue ashes – should never be stored in combustible containers and should be doused with water, Murray said.

“Any hot material, put it in a metal container and get it away from the house,” he said. “Never ever store it in a combustible container.”

This morning’s call came after a busy night for the Vancouver Fire Department. Fire crews stayed busy July Fourth, heading from one fireworks-related fire to another, Murray said.

Luckily, Murray said, there were no major structure fires in the city. Crews were able to reach and extinguish all of the fires.

The high call volume was typical for the holiday, he said.

“Anytime you have objects, hot objects that fly and you can’t see where they land, it generally spells a busy evening for us,” Murray said.