A smoldering plant container caused about $30,000 to a house in east Vancouver over the weekend.
The fire was reported around 4:20 p.m. Saturday at 18106 S.E. 11th St. in the Bennington neighborhood. Vancouver Fire Department firefighters arrived to find a fire on the covered front porch of the single-story house, which county property records indicate was built in 2002. Vancouver firefighters were assisted by the Camas-Washougal Fire Department.
The cause was classified as “natural,” said Lead Deputy Fire Marshal Chad Lawry. Decomposing plants combined with fertilizer that contains ammonium nitrate can act as a chemical oxidizer, he explained. The fire smoldered in the direct sun prior to breaking out and spreading to the porch, Lawry said.
The fire spread up the vinyl siding and got into the attic at the eaves.
While the residents were displace, their insurance is providing a place to stay while their home is being repaired, Lawry said. County property records list the owners of the home as Ronald and Sharon Eilers.
