Homeowner escaped the fire by exiting through a bedroom window

The Vancouver Fire Department battled a duplex fire in the early morning hours Monday (May 27). At 2:15 a.m. Monday morning, fire crews were dispatched to the 3600 block of M Street for the report of a vehicle fire. 

As crews were putting on their turnout gear, the incident was upgraded to a house fire as more citizens were calling 9-1-1 to report that the fire had spread to the structure. 

Firefighters arrived within four minutes to find a one-story duplex where one unit was fully engulfed in flames. Crews worked quickly to prevent the fire from spreading into the other unit. 

Complete extinguishment of this fire proved to be difficult and time consuming as the fire had spread to the attic and was difficult to spray water to the impacted areas prompting crews to remove large areas of the ceiling and roof in order to gain enough access to the hidden hot spots. 

The homeowner relayed to personnel on scene that they had escaped the fire by exiting through a bedroom window. No resident or firefighter injuries were reported. The Vancouver Fire Chaplain arrived on scene along with the American Red Cross to offer assistance to several adults and children displaced by the fire.  

The Vancouver Police Department assisted the VFD with traffic control by shutting down and diverting traffic away from the area. In total, 12 fire units responded to the scene which included a total of 30 firefighters and two battalion chiefs and a fire engine from Clark County Fire District 6. 

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office. 

The Vancouver Fire Department recommends developing a home fire escape plan and practicing it with their families on a routine basis. 

Information provided by the Vancouver Fire Department.