Tipped-over firework destroys pickup, damages house in Vancouver

A tipped-over firework sparked a fire that destroyed a pickup and burned the outside of a house in east Vancouver.

The firework got knocked over Friday night while it was going off and ignited a nearby arbor vitae bush, said Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli. The fire spread to a pickup and the siding and roof of a neighbor’s house, Scarpelli said.

The fire was reported at 9:47 p.m. Friday at 3507 N.E. 157th Ave., in the Parkway East neighborhood. In total, the damage was estimated at $35,000.

“When you use fireworks, it’s risky. You have to think what if this happened?” Scarpelli said.

The individual who lit the firework was fined $250 for lighting a firework outside of the city curfew. Fireworks use is only legal in Vancouver today from 9 a.m. to midnight.

While the city has urged people not to use fireworks, if people are going to use them they should set them off on pavement or a gravel area and have a bucket of water nearby, Scarpelli said.

“Set yourself up so you don’t destroy your property or your neighbors’ property,” she said. “These are extreme weather conditions.”

So far, Vancouver firefighters have dealt with several small vegetation fires and barkdust fires. The Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office has issued 21 fireworks citations for curfew violations since starting patrols on June 28.