Fireworks were possible cause of Bellingham grass fire that had to be put out from a boat
The cause of a fire Monday afternoon at 401 Cornwall Avenue remains a mystery, but it may be linked to fireworks, said Capt. Dustin Michaelis with the Bellingham Fire Department.
“There were possible reports of fireworks in the area beforehand but our crews and command did not find anything to show that it happened [due to fireworks]. It is undetermined,” Michaelis said.
The mostly grass brush fire was put out with the help of a marine crew that was able to use a fire boat to control the blaze. Fire crews responded around 3 p.m. and it was cleared at 4:17 p.m. with no injuries or structure damage.
While the cause of this fire is unknown, there were more than two dozen fires in Whatcom County since the Fourth of July holiday, and nearly all have been blamed on fireworks.
There were about 25 fires across Whatcom Country from 8:30 p.m. July 4 to 8:30 a.m. July 5. The exact number of these fires caused by fireworks is not known, but Fire Inspector Jacob Johnson with the Whatcom County Fire Marshal said it is safe to assume fireworks caused most if not all of these fires.
Most were small and caused little or no damage.
During the holiday, eight people were admitted to Saint Joseph’s Hospital for fireworks-related injuries, Beverly Mayhew, marketing and communications director told The Herald in an email. All have been released.
An estimated 19,500 fires a year are caused by fireworks across the country, according to the National Fire Protection Association using a study based on 2014-2018 averages.
In 2022, 10,200 people were treated in emergency rooms for fireworks-related injuries, and 11 people died in the U.S., according to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. Most injuries are caused by firecrackers and sparklers, according to the study.
This story was originally published July 11, 2023 at 4:33 PM.
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