Neighborhood fireworks ignite 2-alarm blaze at Stanwood home

STANWOOD, Wash. - Fireworks are being blamed for a two-alarm fire that heavily damaged a home in a Stanwood neighborhood on July 4th.

Don Bartlett of North County Fire & EMS said he and his crew spotted smoke from the blaze Wednesday while driving back from an Independence Day parade, and said the residents there had no inkling that their home was on fire until he banged on their front door and alerted them.

"We were actually returning from a parade, saw a smoke column, drove up to the residence, noticed three- to four-foot flames on the roof, and called out for a full residential response," he said.

"I actually had to run up to the door, knock on the door, identify myself as the fire department and say, 'You need to get out of here - your house is on fire!' - and they had no clue."

Bartlett said it took 30 to 35 minutes to extinguish the flames, which caused extensive damage to the home's wood shake roof.

Witnesses told fire crews that people were setting off fireworks in the neighborhood on 276th Place NW, and that was the probable cause of the blaze.

Three people were inside the home at the time of the fire, and all were able to get out safely, Bartlett said.

He said the blaze spread quickly and the residents easily could have been injured or killed if they hadn't escaped when they did.

Bartlett said people need to be aware of how "very dangerous" fireworks can be - especially with a wood shake roof.

"The 4th of July is great, it's a wonderful event, it's all about our nation - but being a firefighter for 30 years I've seen a lot of injuries and a lot of tragedies as a result," he said.