A fire that consumed the garage of a Salmon Creek house spread to parts of the house early Sunday, damaging the structure and displacing the residents.
Crews from Clark County Fire District 6 responded to 2811 N.W. 142nd St. at 2:44 a.m. Sunday and found the garage of the large two-story house fully engulfed in flames, Battalion Chief Todd Iremonger said.
Firefighters from the agency were assisted by Vancouver Fire Department in attacking the blaze, which had spread to the attic, into the crawl space and into some vents, Iremonger said.
The fire was brought under control by 3:30 a.m., Iremonger said, but crews stayed on scene until 8 a.m. to be sure that nothing smoldering re-ignited.
All occupants safely got out of the house, but one male occupant suffered a head injury while exiting, Iremonger said. The man was treated at the scene by paramedics.
He did not have information on how many people were displaced.
Deputy Fire Marshal Curtis Eavenson said that materials used in a staining project caused the fire. Rags soaked in staining product will generate heat and potentially burn.
“They have a tendency to spontaneously combust if the conditions are just right,” Eavenson said. “Throughout the years, we have had several fires caused by this.” Preliminary estimates indicate the house and its contents sustained about $150,000 worth of damage, but the house was not a total loss, he said.
Eavenson said rags used in staining wood can be disposed of in the stain can: Fill the can with water and put the lid back on.
