Watch out for fireworks fires

With days to go before the Fourth of July, local firefighters already have been sent out to battle a blaze caused by a firework.

A Beacon Hill woman threw a lit Roman candle at a raccoon in her yard Wednesday, igniting dry grass and bushes on her property and burning into her neighbors' properties, causing $10,000 in damage.

Firefighters last week responded to the 1700 block of South Angeline Street and put out the blaze.

Dry grass can be an easy fuel for brush fires, and local fire departments prepare every year to fight flare ups, especially those set off by fireworks around the Fourth of July.

"It's something we expect to see this time of year, unfortunately," said Helen Fitzpatrick, spokeswoman for Seattle Fire Department. "Firefighters are well-prepared for this kind of thing because they see it every year."

Seattle tied the 29-day spring dry streak earlier this month, making the area susceptible to small brush fires, like the one sparked by a car off Interstate 5 near Boeing Field two weeks ago.

Fireworks are banned in Seattle and in about 50 cities across Washington.

In places like Mercer Island, where fireworks are legal on the Fourth of July only, the recent dry spell was broken by a period of cool weather and light rain, but it takes only a few hours of wind and warm temperatures to turn plants into fuel, according to the Northwest Interagency Coordination Center.

Evergreen trees and shredded bark mulch are particularly prone to combustion, said Karen Jones, deputy state fire marshal.

Fireworks are allowed in some cities in Washington on the Fourth of July, including Auburn, Black Diamond, Duvall, Normandy Park, Skykomish and Snoqualmie. For a complete list, see www.kingcounty.gov/property/FireMarshal/fireworks.

Lindsay Toler: 206-464-2463 or ltoler@seattletimes.com