Two suspicious fires overnight on South Yakima Ave

Incident Date:  7/31/13
Issuing Officer:  BC Jolene Davis & Joe Meinecke
Incident Location: Incident #1 - 4114 S. Yakima Ave  Incident #2 - 4325 S. Yakima Ave
Incident Type: Suspicious Fires

Narrative Incident #1 - 4114 S. Yakima Ave

At 4:17 a.m. Tacoma Firefighters from stations 1,2,8,11 and 15 responded to a reported garage fire. The first arriving unit found a fully involved pick-up truck on fire with extension to the nearby detached garage and a large tree overhead. Crews initiated an aggressive fire attack to knock the blaze down and protected an adjacent garage exposure. There were no injuries to report.

A fire investigator determined the cause of the fire to be intentionally set. UPDATE: The fire caused an estimated $15,000 damage to the pick-up, a camper trailer and garage.

Narrative Incident #2 - 4325 S. Yakima Ave

At 4:42 a.m. Tacoma Firefighters from stations 1,4,7,8,9 and 10 responded to a reported vehicle and garage fire. The first arriving company found a heavily involved fire in a detached garage, vehicle, trailer and recreational travel trailer. Crews attacked the fire with handlines and applied foam to help prevent the blaze from spreading to adjacent garages, recreational vehicles and a large quantity of propane stored in a backyard used to heat an outdoor swimming pool. There were no injuries to report.

A fire investigator determined the cause of the fire to be intentionally set. UPDATE: The fire caused an estimated $32,500 damage to two cars, a camper trailer, utility trailer and two garages.
 
It has yet to be determined if these two incidents are linked and the cases are being forwarded to the Tacoma Police Department for investigative follow-up.

Fire Incidents for July 28, 2013

Time:  2:38 p.m.
Address:  302 S. 9th St.
Response:  Station 1
Damage Estimate:  $250
Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a report of smoke coming from a fluorescent light fixture. Firefighters used a thermal imaging camera to check the area for excess heat and found none.

Time:  4:13 p.m.
Address:  2916 S. 38th St.
Response:  Station 8
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a small bush fire.

Time:  7:43 p.m.
Address:  S. 23rd St/S. Union Ave
Response:  Station 17
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a small smoldering bark fire.

Time:  11:19 p.m.
Address:  2144 Milwaukee Way
Response:  Station 1,2,4,8,11,12
Damage Estimate:  $6,000
Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a reported fire in a large manufacturing facility. Upon investigation the first arriving engine company found light smoke at the ceiling level (approximately 35 feet high) and a small electrical fire in some insulation near a light fixture. Operationally, a ladder company made access to the roof and cut a small inspection hole to check for extension above the fire, while interior firefighters were able to a carefully extinguish the fire without causing water damage to the machinery below.  The cause of the fire appeared to be an electrical short in a junction box. There were no injuries to report.

Pierce County fire safety Burn Ban in effect

Given the dry conditions, a Phase 1 fire safety burn ban has been instituted in Pierce County. All outdoor burning is prohibited, except for recreational fires, fires in barbecues and other cooking appliances, outdoor fireplaces and campfires in approved pits.

Additionally, in the City of Tacoma:

• Burning yard waste, household garbage and building materials (i.e. scrap wood, paint, vinyl flooring, roofing, and carpet) is always prohibited.
• Recreational fires are allowed – must use clean fuel, the fires have to be less than 3 feet in diameter and 2 feet height and 25 feet from any structure
• WAC 173-425-050 - if the smoke from the fire bothers your neighbors, damages their property or otherwise causes a nuisance, the fire shall be extinguished.
• Recreational fires are not allowed during an air quality burn ban. Puget Sound Clean Air Agency (pscleanair.org) sets the regional air quality bans and local fire officials set the fire safety ban.       

Tacoma firefighters have responded to 148 bark, grass, brush and trees fires in July. Please do your part by observing outdoor burning regulations and properly disposing of cigarettes! 

Fire Incidents for July 26-28, 2013

Date:  7/26/13
Time:  5:38 a.m.
Address:  8217 S. Hosmer St.
Response:  Station 10
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a small grass fire.

Date:  7/26/13
Time:  8:15 a.m.
Address:  S. 84th St./Yakima Ave
Response:  Station 10
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a 2 x 2 grass fire.

Date:  7/26/13
Time:  11:27 a.m.
Address:  3650 S. Cedar St.
Response:  Station 2,15
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a smoldering bark fire.

Date:  7/26/13
Time:  12:02 p.m.
Address:  2202 S. Cedar St.
Response:  Station 2
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a smoldering bark fire.

Date:  7/26/13
Time:  8:59 p.m.
Address:  3585 E. Spokane St.
Response:  Station 11
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a prohibited outdoor burn.

Date:  7/26/13
Time:  9:31 p.m.
Address:  S. 48th St./S. Gove St.
Response:  Station 9
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a prohibited outdoor burn.

Date:  7/26/13
Time:  11:00 p.m.
Address:  S. 56th St./S. "K" St.
Response:  Station 8
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a prohibited outdoor burn.

Date:  7/27/13
Time:  9:52 a.m.
Address:  54th Ave E/Pacific Hwy E.
Response:  Station 12
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a small bark fire. 

Date:  7/27/13
Time:  11:23 a.m.
Address:  S. 48th St./Yakima Ave.
Response:  Station 10
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a smoldering bark fire.

Date:  7/27/13
Time:  5:06 p.m.
Address:  N. 33rd St./N. Pearl St.
Response:  Station 9
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a bark fire.

Date:  7/27/13
Time:  6:55 p.m.
Address:  400 S. "I" St.
Response:  Station 1
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a small fire in a cardboard box.  Occupants had discarded charcoal briquettes in the box and radiant heat ignited it.

Date:  7/27/13
Time:  7:30 p.m.
Address:  4117 S. "M" St.
Response:  Station 8
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a prohibited outdoor burn.

Date:  7/27/13
Time:  9:19 p.m.
Address:  3250 S. 77th St.
Response:  Station 7,10
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a 50 x 100 brush fire.  Tacoma Police Department notified as the cause appeared suspicious.

Date:  7/27/13
Time:  11:16 p.m.
Address:  3810 50th Ave NE
Response:  Station 3
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a smoldering bark fire that extended to a railroad tie used for landscaping and a nearby fence.

Date:  7/27/13
Time:  11:52 p.m.
Address:  6002 S. Alder St.
Response:  Station 3
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a fire in a dumpster.

Date:  7/28/13
Time:  2:23 a.m.
Address:  1815 Port of Tacoma Rd.
Response:  Station 1
Damage Estimate:  $15,500
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a fully involved motor vehicle fire associated with an accident. The car left the road, ran up an embankment, hit a fence and then burst into flames. Two patients were transported from the scene for injuries sustained in the crash.

Date:  7/28/13
Time:  7:11 a.m.
Address:  3715 S. Ainsworth Ave.
Response:  Station 8
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a prohibited outdoor burn.

Date:  7/28/13
Time:  8:46 a.m.
Address:  6433 S. Puget Sound Ave.
Response:  Station 7
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a prohibited outdoor burn of yard waste.

Date:  7/28/13
Time:  9:21 a.m.
Address:  S. 77th St./S. Montgomery St.
Response:  Station 7
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters responded to the scene of a large grass fire the occurred the night before and wet down entire area to prevent a re-kindle.

Date:  7/28/13
Time:  10:08 a.m.
Address:  43rd St. E/70th Ave E.
Response:  Station 12
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a small fire on a cedar fence.

Date:  7/28/13
Time:  11:41 a.m.
Address:  9615 18th Ave S. CP
Response:  Station 8,10
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a reported apartment fire. Upon arrival they found a pan on the stove had burnt and caused the room to fill with smoke. Crews removed the pan, ventilated the smoke and reset the pull station and alarm system.

Date:  7/28/13
Time:  2:41 p.m.
Address:  219 S. 79th St.
Response:  Station 10
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters extinguished a bark fire that had extended to section of a wood fence.

Date:  7/28/13
Time:  7:45 p.m.
Address:  6516 26th St NE
Response:  Station 3,12
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a landscape hedge and fence fire.

Date:  7/28/13
Time:  11:15 p.m.
Address:  4824 Marine View Dr.
Response:  Station 3
Damage Estimate:  none
Narrative:  Firefighters responded to a small grass fire along the roadside.