By John Todd | Rio Linda Online
For Shirley Fannin Roper, Independence Day ended with the loss of her family’s motorhome and the frightening possibility that her home could have been next.
A vegetation fire broke out Saturday night in the 100 block of U Street in Rio Linda, spreading through dry grass before firefighters stopped its forward progress. The blaze destroyed the family’s recreational vehicle but spared their home, according to the property owner.
Metro Fire units were dispatched to 127 U Street at approximately 9:55 p.m. on July 4 after reports of a quarter-acre vegetation fire. Firefighters arriving on scene found flames spreading at a moderate rate, prompting the incident commander to request three additional engines. By 10:21 p.m., radio traffic indicated forward progress had been stopped.
Rio Linda Online was LIVE on-scene by 10pm. See the video at https://www.facebook.com/riolindaonline/videos/4013685388766413
The cause of the fire has not been officially determined.
However, neighbors who witnessed the incident believe illegal aerial fireworks may have ignited the dry vegetation.
“My motor home next to the fence is gone,” Roper wrote on social media following the fire. “Thank God we are OK only because hubby has been mowing for days. It started in the next lot.”
Another neighbor commented that someone had seen “a red mortar go up and then come down in the field and then smoke.”
Those accounts have not been independently confirmed by fire investigators, and Metro Fire has not released an official cause.
If confirmed, the incident would add to a familiar pattern seen across Sacramento County every Fourth of July, when illegal fireworks spark dozens of vegetation and structure fires during the region’s hottest and driest weeks.
A Preventable Fire
Roper said her husband had spent several days mowing around their home to reduce the fire danger created by dry summer grass.
That preparation may have made the difference.
While the family’s RV was destroyed, the fire did not spread to the house despite burning immediately adjacent to the property.
The neighboring vacant lot, however, still contained tall, dry vegetation.
“We’ve never even seen anyone mow it in years,” Roper said of the adjoining property.
County Increased Enforcement This Year
This year’s Independence Day marked one of Sacramento County’s most aggressive campaigns against illegal fireworks.
Earlier this year, the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors significantly increased penalties for possessing or using dangerous fireworks. The updated ordinance allows fines of $1,000 for each illegal firework involved in a first violation, $2,500 per device for a second violation within one year, and $5,000 per device for additional violations. Violations along the American River Parkway can result in $10,000 fines per device. Property owners may also face liability if illegal fireworks are used on their property under the County’s Social Host Liability ordinance.
County officials also expanded enforcement this year by deploying drones to locate illegal fireworks activity, increasing patrols by the Sacramento County Sheriff’s Office, Sacramento Metro Fire and Code Enforcement, and encouraging residents to report violations through Sacramento County’s 311 system.
Officials repeatedly reminded residents that any firework that flies into the air, explodes, or travels is considered a dangerous firework under California law. The County also warned businesses and property owners that they could be held financially responsible if illegal fireworks activity occurs on their property.
A Growing Cost
Every Fourth of July, firefighters across the Sacramento region respond to numerous fires started by fireworks. While many burn only small patches of grass, others destroy homes, vehicles and businesses or threaten neighborhoods.
With temperatures climbing and vegetation at its driest, even a single aerial firework landing in an overgrown field can quickly become a fast-moving vegetation fire.
Saturday night’s fire on U Street serves as another reminder that a celebration lasting only seconds can leave families dealing with losses that last for years.
Metro Fire has not yet released an official cause or damage estimate. Rio Linda Online will update this story as additional information becomes available.
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