Children in the home were awakened by a growing fire in the living room and quickly alerted the rest of the family

Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue units responded to a house fire in the early morning hours on Friday (Aug. 26). 

The fire was dispatched at 1:21 a.m. during a power outage resulting from an earlier vehicle collision in the area.   Children in the home were awakened by a growing fire in the living room and quickly alerted the rest of the family. The family of five was able to make it out of the home with no time to spare.   

Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue responded with assistance from Cowlitz County Fire District 1 to the home located in the 2400 Block of NW Hayes Road, east of Woodland.

The home was fully involved in fire before firefighters arrived and is estimated to be a total loss. The family had been burning candles due to the power outage.   

The American Red Cross is providing assistance to the family. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office.  

Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue reminds citizens to practice their escape plan and check your smoke alarms.  Contact your local fire department or the Red Cross if you need assistance getting working smoke alarms in your home.   Smoke alarms older than 10 years old should be replaced.   Use caution and never leave any candles or open flames unattended.  

Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue (CCFR) serves 50,000 people over 125 square miles, including the cities of La Center, Ridgefield, Woodland, and the Cowlitz Indian Reservation. Our combination department includes full-time and volunteer firefighters responding to an average of 5000 fire and emergency medical calls a year. CCFR also provides a wide array of Community Risk Reduction programs including fire inspections, building plan reviews, and a Community Paramedic program. CCF&R operates under a balanced budget and has a history of passing independent financial audits by the state.

Information provided by Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue.