A 1970s ranch-style home in Felida was heavily damaged by fire early Saturday morning, and fireworks are the suspected cause of the blaze, a Clark County Fire District 6 battalion chief said Saturday. No injuries were reported.
Battalion Chief Todd Iremonger said a crew was dispatched at 2:46 a.m. Saturday to what was reported as a barkdust fire but turned out to be a structure fire.
The occupants of the rental home, 100 N.E. 108th St., were out of town. The owner of the property lives across the street, and the occupants were notified.
The family — two adults and one child — returned home later Saturday to find their home destroyed and were assisted by the American Red Cross, according to a news release.
Kim Upham, a volunteer with the Red Cross in Portland, said the family has renter’s insurance, which will cover the cost of temporary lodging.
Iremonger said 23 firefighters, five engines and a truck responded to the blaze, which started in the tile attic of the stucco home. He said fireworks debris was on the front lawn, and the Clark County Fire Marshal’s office is investigating the fire as an arson.
The fire call capped a long night for Fire District 6, Iremonger said. His crews responded to approximately 40 calls.
“I enjoy working the Fourth, I enjoy going out on calls,” he said. “But at midnight (the curfew for personal fireworks on the Fourth of July) people are still throwing fireworks into the bushes. I don’t know why people don’t get it.”
