Fire destroys home on Evergreen Highway in Camas

A challenging two-alarm fire completely destroyed a house near Camas this afternoon. It was the second two-alarm house fire in Camas area today.

No injuries were reported in either fire.

Firefighters were called at 3:46 p.m. to a house ablaze at 20709 S.E. Evergreen Highway. Smoke from the fire was visible from state Highway 14.

When fire crews arrived, they found that the two-story home was engulfed in flames, according to a press release from the Camas-Washougal Fire Department. Firefighters’ efforts were hindered at first because there was a lack of nearby fire hydrants, and they faced further challenges when ammunition inside the home began exploding, keeping them from getting inside of the building, according to the fire department.

“It took an awful long time to secure a water supply, and we had to call in several water tankers,” said Nick Swinhart, chief of the Camas-Washougal Fire Department.

Firefighters from the Vancouver Fire Department and East County Fire & Rescue also fought the fire, which took about an hour to get under control, Swinhart said.

The house and the belongings inside are “considered a total loss,” according to a press release, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.

The American Red Cross was dispatched to provide the resident of the home with food, clothing and bedding, according to a press release from the Red Cross.

The home is owned by Paul Egan and had an assessed value of more than $82,000 before the fire, according to Clark County property records.