Unattended burning incense started a fire that killed a cat and caused more than $200,000 in damage to a Camas house Monday night, according to investigators.
Residents of the house, 20009 N.E. 11th St., left incense burning in a bedroom, the ash of which fell on some nearby facial tissue and ignited a fire in the room, Clark County Senior Deputy Fire Marshal Susan Anderson said.
Crews from the Vancouver Fire Department were called to the scene just after 7 p.m., arriving to find smoke and flames coming from a side window.
One of the two residents was home at the time and escaped with her dog, Anderson said. A cat was later found dead by fire personnel, she said.
Firefighters had no access to a fire hydrant on the dead-end road, so they had to bring their own water supply and spent 20 minutes clearing debris from the yard to get to the front door, Battalion Chief Rick Steele said. The fire was contained to the bedroom, but caused an estimated $218,375 in damage to the structure and contents, Anderson said.
The Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office reminds residents to never leave incense or candles burning unattended and added that smoke alarms save lives.
“Be sure that they are completely extinguished before you leave the room or go to sleep,” Anderson said. “Install smoke alarms in every bedroom, as well as the hallway, and test them regularly.”
