A Christmas Day fire that displaced three adults and four children in east Vancouver was caused by lint that ignited inside the dryer vent.
One of the residents reported the fire at 1:01 p.m. Thursday at 16501 N.E. Ninth Way in a neighborhood of rental duplexes just off the busy Northeast 162nd Avenue corridor. Vancouver firefighters arrived to find fire under the house.
A long vent pipe had caught on fire, which spread to the laundry room, causing smoke damage throughout the house, according to the Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office. Damage to the residence and its contents is estimated at $154,000.
The seven residents are living elsewhere while the home is repaired. The second duplex unit was not damaged by the fire.
According to the fire marshal’s office, people should regularly clean dryer vents, especially when they’re long.
