HOLLAND (WHTC-AM/FM) — A fire in the 50 block on Holland’s 19th Street left a home with minor damage on Tuesday, April 20, 2020. (See the photo gallery and the live tweet.)
Holland Fire Marshal Brett Groendyke said no one was hurt. He said an improperly disposed cigarette butt caused the fire. Firefighters were summoned to the scene just before 3 p.m. Tuesday.
Windy days are especially challenging, he said, advising smokers to have a plan before lighting up outside, by keeping a container nearby with sand or significant water to ensure cigarettes are safely put out.
Groendyke said everyone should keep an eye on “anything with a flame,” from backyard recreational fires to a burning candle inside the home, because no one needs a housefire on top of the stress related to COVID-19.
He said there appears to be some confusion on the part of some residents as to what constitutes a recreational fire. Some people don’t realize they are living inside the city’s boundary, either, so firefighters aim to educate first. Repeat offenders can be ticketed.
Holland fire officials posted the following rules online at https://www.cityofholland.com/300/Recreational-Fires — but here are the highlights:
For all recreational fires:
- Conditions which could cause a fire to spread within 25 feet of a structure shall be eliminated prior to ignition
- The fire division is authorized to order the extinguishment or extinguish fires that create or add to a hazardous or objectionable situation
- Means to extinguish the fire shall be available for immediate utilization
- Examples include but are not limited to a portable fire extinguisher and garden hose
- Shall be constantly attended until the fire is extinguished
- Shall not be conducted within 25 feet of a structure or combustible materials
- Should be contained within a fire ring, fire pit or manufactured container designed for recreational fires
