A firefighter suffered minor injuries after falling off a ladder while responding to a house fire west of Battle Ground on Friday.
Crews from Clark County Fire & Rescue were called to the house at 21812 N.E. 87th Ave., off of state Highway 502, just before 11 a.m.
The fire had started in a chimney but spread into a wall and the attic, said Tim Dawdy, spokesman for the fire agency.
Firefighters doused the blaze but then remained on scene for more than an hour doing overhaul, making sure all the hot spots were out, Dawdy said.
“When fire gets into the wall, they have to tear into the wall, get into the attic and take the insulation out,” Dawdy said. “It’s a pretty labor-intensive operation.”
One of the firefighters, whose name was not released due to health privacy laws, suffered minor injuries when he fell off a ladder, Dawdy said. He was taken to an area hospital for evaluation.
Someone inside called in the fire after noticing excessive smoke from the house’s wood stove and flames coming from the ceiling above the stove, Clark County Deputy Fire Marshal Susan Anderson said.
A couple with four children, a dog and a ferret live at the house, Anderson said. The mother and pets were home at the time of the fire and all got out safe, she said.
There was light smoke damage to the entire house, she said, and the fire damage was limited to the wall and ceiling around the chimney.
Anderson said the fire did an estimated $54,000 in damage to the building and $143,000 to the contents.
The home probably won’t be habitable for a while, Anderson said, and the family is staying with relatives.
The fire started in wood framing built around the chimney. Over time, it grew hot enough to burn, she said.
A combination of cracks in the mortar of the chimney and the proximity of the framing to the chimney likely led to the fire, she said. The house was built in the early ’60s, she said, before building codes mandated greater distance between framing and chimneys.
Since the mortar and chimney were concealed behind a wall, she doubted any kind of inspection would have found the cracks.
“It’s just something we sometimes see with older homes,” she said.
Anderson added the home’s smoke alarm didn’t sound during the fire, and reminded residents to check their alarms monthly to ensure they’re working.
Although the fire wasn’t directly related to chimney cleanliness, Dawdy said it’s still a good reminder to clean out fireplaces before using them for the first time this winter season. He recommend brushes or a professional cleaning company over chemical methods.
County Assessor’s Office records list trustees Wayne A. and Dorothy E. Harris as the home’s owners.
