A fire that produced a spectacular column of smoke ruined a car and a garage Monday afternoon, but firefighters prevented major damage to the attached house.
The fire was reported at 4:08 p.m. at 9712 N.E. Covington Road, a major thoroughfare south of the Padden Parkway in the Sunnyside neighborhood.
According to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian, someone was working on a car in the garage, when a fire started.
Firefighters could see the smoke as they left Station 5 at Northeast 63rd Street and Andresen Road, said Capt. Kevin Murray, a fire department spokesman.
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By the time they arrived, “It was blowing fire out of the garage area,” Murray said.
It took about 10 minutes to knock down the flames. Firefighters were able to close the door between the house and the garage, sparing the ranch-style home and its furnishings from major damage.
The fire ruined the garage’s contents including the car, which Murray said was an older model. The garage will require major rebuilding, Murray said. The Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office will investigate the cause and determine a damage estimate.
The occupants of the house, which according to county records is owned by a Vancouver firm, evacuated safely.
Traffic on Covington Road was blocked for more than an hour while firefighters worked. Motorists should watch for ice from the firefighting effort until freezing temperatures moderate today.
Four Vancouver engine companies and one truck company responded to the fire.
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