Smoke detector blamed for fire

A preliminary investigation found that a malfunctioning smoke detector likely caused a house fire that injured the occupant.

Crews with the Vancouver Fire Department responded to 6113 N.E. 100th Ave. at about 5 a.m. Monday for a report of a structure fire. They arrived to find fire coming from a 2,000-square-foot, ranch-style house and possibly extending into the attic, Capt. Scott Willis said.

Arriving firefighters quickly put out the blaze and then remained on scene to do overhaul, Willis said.

An occupant of the house, an adult man, suffered minor burns to his hands and was taken to an area hospital, Willis said. His condition was not available.

Clark County Deputy Fire Marshal Susan Anderson said that the preliminary findings are that a hard-wired smoke detector in the hallway caused the fire. The occupant reported that the smoke alarms in the house sounded, she added.

“It’s a very unusual scenario,” Anderson said. “None of the staff here has seen this particular scenario before.”

The exact circumstances that caused the blaze are still under investigation, Anderson said, including how the smoke detector might have failed.

Damage to the home was estimated at $114,000, plus $43,000 to contents.