An early-morning fire destroyed a Truman neighborhood apartment Thursday, officials said.
A fire burned an upstairs unit of the Willowbrook Apartments, 3517 N.E. 51st St., just after midnight, according to emergency dispatch logs.
Firefighters arrived about 9 minutes after the blaze was reported and found heavy flames and smoke coming from an upstairs window.
Crews attempted to fight the fire from inside the apartment, but the heat was too intense, said Capt. Dave James, spokesman for the Vancouver Fire Department. Another crew shot water in through the window, which calmed the flames enough for firefighters to knock out the fire from inside the apartment, he said.
Three people escaped from the apartment uninjured and are being assisted by the American Red Cross. Their apartment was gutted by the fire, James said.
