Renton residents in the 800 block of Southwest 7th Street heard blasts and witnessed a tower of smoke after multiple propane tanks exploded in a fire on the morning of July 31.

Crews from the agency were dispatched at 7:03 a.m. July 31 to an unknown fire in a wooded area located behind a property in the 800 block of Southwest 7th Street, according to Ashlinn Phipps, public information officer for the Renton Regional Fire Authority.

The area the call originated from serves as a known location of “large homeless encampments that crews regularly respond to fires from,” Phipps said. Upon leaving the station, crews saw a visible thermal column and confirmed a “large area was on fire.”

An engine from the Renton Regional Fire Authority was the first unit at the scene, calling for backup for assistance in extinguishing the flames. Arriving at the scene, crews witnessed 40-foot flames and a sizable thermal column rising from the woods behind the property.

Smoke from the fires triggered alarms from surrounding apartment buildings as residents and individuals in the area reported multiple loud explosions.

Phipps said the explosions resulted from several small liquid petroleum gas tanks found at the scene, with the cylinders failing as a result of boiling liquid expanding vapor explosions — resulting from pressurized liquid within a container exceeding boiling point temperatures.

Responding crews from the Renton Regional Fire Authority and Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority battled the flames, extinguishing the fire and responding to the alarms of surrounding apartment buildings.

According to Sandra Havlik, public information officer for the Renton Police Department, Renton police responded to assist in providing additional information to crews in the incident.

Phipps stated she lacked information regarding whether the fire resulted in any damages to surrounding buildings.

All units cleared from the area by 8:52 a.m.

“We have seen an increase in brush fires recently due to hot and dry conditions over the summer,” Phipps said. “We can expect more hot and dry conditions coming this month, which increases risk for brush fires. We want to encourage people to work to try to prevent brush fires in and around their home.”

Phipps stated several strategies for mitigating fire risk include disposing of cigarettes in the proper receptacles; checking for dragging chains and metal parts on vehicles and tire pressure to prevent sparks; avoiding mowing in dry or windy conditions as the sparks from lawn mowers serve as a risk; removing dead plants and bushes quickly; and clearing roofs and gutters from pine needles and leaves.