Fire crews battled a wind-blown grass fire that threatened an apartment complex in east Vancouver on Friday afternoon as other firefighters dealt with another wind-whipped fire near Ridgefield.
The fire in Vancouver was reported at about 4:40 p.m. near the intersection of Northeast Four Seasons Lane and Northeast 18th Street. Winds blew the fire close to the Overlook Park Apartments complex at 2201 N.E. 112th Ave., pushing it to within 30 to 40 feet of the building, Vancouver Fire Department spokesman Joe Spatz said.
Spatz said an off-duty firefighter reported the fire. Firefighters responded in force, with a full structure fire response, along with a small engine for brush fires the department has staffed due to the high fire danger.
Crews moved to protect the structure and evacuated the E building in the complex, according to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian.
Spatz said the fire grew to about 3/4 of an acre to 1 acre before firefighters were able to wet down the fire, which generated ample smoke.
No one was hurt, and the building was undamaged, he said. The Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office was investigating.
Meanwhile, firefighters with Clark County Fire & Rescue, Clark County Fire District 6 and the state Department of Natural Resources were trying to corral a field fire burning near north county homes.
Around 4:20 p.m., firefighters were called to a couple-acre grass fire north of Ridgefield, at 5601 N.W. 314th Circle.
East winds pushed the fire through the grass and into a wooded area, Clark County Fire & Rescue Battalion Chief Tim Dawdy said.
There were structures downwind and around the fire, but the fire probably didn’t come closer than 50 yards from any of them, he said. Firefighters were able to keep the fire away from livestock and homes.
The fire was mostly stopped after about an hour, but firefighters with the DNR were still at the scene at 6 p.m.
Dawdy said the DNR had an investigator at the fire, but he reminded residents to be smart about smoking material and outdoor cooking, adding that hot days with east winds are a good time to double-check burn piles.
“This east wind can really make them come alive again,” he said, even in weeks-old piles.
