Fireworks believed to have caused 2 structure fires on Fourth of July
Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One crews were busy Monday night extinguishing fireworks-related fires.
Fortunately, no one was injured this year by fireworks in the community.
A little after 11:30 p.m. the first call came in from Fox Island. Upon arrival, firefighters found a fully involved 2015 Ford pickup in front of the garage. The burning truck had extended to the garage door and into the overhang of the attached garage. The room above the attached garage received some smoke damage and broken windows. The family reported they had finished firing off their fireworks around 9:30 p.m. and went to bed. Around 11:30 p.m. neighbors reported the fire.
Everyone had evacuated the home by the time firefighters arrived and no one was hurt. The homeowner believed the fire was caused by an ember from the fireworks the family had been lighting earlier in the evening which ignited cardboard that was in the bed of the Ford pickup.
Damages are estimated at $65,000.
The second house fire was responded to at almost 2:30 a.m. The family of a duplex located off 88th Ave. NW in Gig Harbor finished firing off their fireworks around 9 p.m. They were in bed sleeping when they were awakened by the sound of crackling and saw flames coming from their detached garage. The family had stacked their used fireworks in a pile next to the detached garage with other combustibles. The garage sustained an estimated damage of $50,000 along with the Ford Focus that was parked in the garage. No one was hurt and the cause is not yet determined, but the probable cause may be fireworks related.
In between the two structure fires, crews also responded to a dumpster fire located on 14th Ave. NW in Gig Harbor. Fortunately, the dumpster was a safe distance from the townhomes nearby. It appears that improperly disposed of fireworks were the cause of this fire.
This story was originally published July 5, 2016 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Fireworks believed to have caused 2 structure fires on Fourth of July."