Fire in Lincoln was caused by fireworks

Improperly used fireworks sparked a Tuesday afternoon vegetation fire that briefly threatened a home in the Lincoln neighborhood, Lead Deputy Vancouver Fire Marshal Chad Lawry said.

The fire burned in brush along a hillside by Olive Street, below several homes, around 4:30 p.m. Tuesday. Lawry said someone’s improper use of a mortar-style firework started the fire. Firefighters were able to promptly beat down the flames.

As far as local fires and damage, the Fourth of July weekend was relatively calm compared to last year, which saw high temperatures and hundreds of fires. Emergency officials were still busy.

Lawry said the final tally for fireworks citations in Vancouver came to 48 from June 28 to July 5, compared to 46 during that period last year.

Eric Frank, emergency management coordinator at the Clark Regional Emergency Services Agency, said the 911 call center fielded 3,984 911 calls over the holiday weekend, most of them on the Fourth of July. The bulk of calls on Independence Day came between 9 and 10 p.m., with 343 calls, he said. That’s almost six calls a minute, he said.

Having the 311 non-emergency number and a prerecorded response to some calls might have helped with the strain, he said.