Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office identifies two deceased males
VANCOUVER – The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office has identified the two males who died in a fire on June 25 in Vancouver. The identifications were made on July 18.
Christopher Berg, a 55-year-old Vancouver resident, died of multiple gunshots. Henry Oates Jr., 74, died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head with a handgun.
Investigators are continuing an investigation into the apartment fire early on the Saturday morning in Vancouver.
On Saturday (June 25) at about 12:28 a.m., 9-1-1 received multiple calls regarding gunshots coming from a four-plex in the 2900 block of East 16th Street. As officers were enroute, callers reported smoke and flames coming from one of the units.
Officers arrived and evacuated the neighboring units and assisted with road closure and scene protection as the Vancouver Fire Department extinguished the fire. This was a two-alarm fire that involved 25 firefighters including an engine from Clark County Fire District 6. It took approximately 30 minutes to control the fire.
Upon entering, emergency personnel located two deceased males inside the unit where the fire occurred. There were no additional reported injuries as a result of the fire. All residents of the four-plex were displaced and are being assisted by the American Red Cross.
Investigators from the Vancouver Police Department Major Crimes Team and Vancouver Police Arson Team are continuing the investigation. Investigators from the Washington State Patrol and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are assisting to process the scene.
Nothing further is releasable at this time.
Information provided by Vancouver Police Department.
Also read:
- Opinion: Were Republican voters just sleeping during the August primary election?
CCRP Chairman Matt Bumala says 60% of primary no-shows in the 17th and 18th districts were Republicans. - High school football: New coach prepares for long-term success at Prairie High School
James Young-Lewis, a Clark County native who graduated from Evergreen in 2009, became Prairie’s head coach in May after working as an assistant coach across various programs since 2015, joining Prairie’s staff in 2024. - Cost to battle 20 wildfires in WA has topped $200M
Twenty wildfires have cost Washington $207M in one month, more than two-thirds of what DNR spent all last fiscal year. - Opinion: WA Cares’ launch showcased care WA Cares did not provide
Gov. Ferguson showcased a caregiving arrangement at the WA Cares launch that the program had not paid for a single day of. - Former State Rep. Liz Pike provides update on husband Neil Cahoon
Neil Cahoon, a Camas resident, has undergone multiple surgeries including five on Aug. 15 after the Aug. 10 crash near La Center’s Daybreak Airport. - Opinion: Portland’s War on Cars Part 4 – A smarter automobile strategy to end gridlock
O’Toole argues fuel wasted in Portland-area congestion has sextupled since 1982, generating 250,000 tons of extra greenhouse gases annually. - $1,000 first prize for Camas Plein Air Art Event honoring Marquita Call on Sept. 26
Plein air artists compete Sept. 26 in Camas for $1,000 first prize honoring gallery founder Marquita Call.
