Family of five displaced in Camas house fire

A family of five was displaced by a fire Sunday evening that heavily damaged a house they rent in Camas, according to fire officials and the American Red Cross.

Nearby residents reported seeing a tall, black smoke column and a raging fire at the structure, 704 S.E. Tampa St., shortly before 8 p.m. Sunday. Arriving firefighters reported a single-story home was ablaze.

“It was ripping,” interim Camas-Washougal Fire Department Chief Cliff Free said. “It was a full-on, defensive fire when we got there. We couldn’t make entry, so we just tried to contain the damage and put the fire out.”

Fire investigators were on the scene Monday morning, working to determine what caused the fire. A cause had not yet been found as of late Monday.

Camas-Washougal Fire Marshal Ron Schumacher said that the fire made the house a total loss, estimating that the house was worth at least $100,000.

Free said the fire melted some siding on two nearby houses, and charred another neighboring home’s garage.

Schumacher said he did not have a monetary estimate for that damage.

The family living in the house didn’t have renters insurance, Schumacher said. They received assistance from The American Red Cross.

Three adults, two children and five pets were provided resources such as temporary housing, food, clothing, comfort kits and information about recovery services.