Summer brings rise in accidents

Published 9:52 pm Tuesday, June 9, 2009

The Edmonds Fire Department (EFD) was dispatched to 109 calls in and around Edmonds the week of May 27 to June 2, which brings this year’s call volume to 2,070. Aid crews responded to 73 calls; fire crews responded to 36 incidents.

Summer is here

Statistics prove that when temperatures rise, so do the number of accidents. Sunshine brings people outdoors to participate in all kinds of activities, heat can cause serious physical symptoms and fire danger increases with dry vegetation, fireworks and barbecues.

Last week, EFD crews responded to a noticeable number of season-related incidents:

– Firefighters extinguished smoldering beauty bark fire on the grounds of Stevens Hospital.

– A back-deck barbecue blew smoke into the house and set-off the automatic smoke alarm.

– Two consecutive calls to two different schools found kids who had fallen on the playground.

– A 90-year-old suffered from weakness and nausea after doing yard work in the hot sun.

– Dispatch to a “smoke-filled home” turned out to be forgotten food burning on the stove — hummingbird food.

– Youths used gasoline to set a fire on vacant property; firefighters extinguished the small circle of flames with a pressurized water can.

– A homeowner was illegally burning trimmed tree limbs in her yard; fire was put out with a garden hose upon responding crews’ request.

Jeanne Startzman works for the Edmonds Fire Department.