A fire that heavily damaged a garage and house in the Vancouver Heights neighborhood July 29 was caused by a mechanical issue with a vehicle inside the garage.
Firefighters were called to the blaze about 3 p.m. at 6910 Tennessee Lane, where they found a car parked in the garage engulfed in flames. The fire spread through the garage and into the home’s attic.
A woman was home at the time but got out safely. No one was hurt.
The homeowner had just arrived home 10 minutes before the fire started and parked her PT Cruiser in the garage, said Dean Bray, lead deputy fire marshal for the Vancouver Fire Department. The fire started by the vehicle, he said.
There was extensive damage to the garage and vehicles inside, and about 95 percent of the house sustained heat and smoke damage. The estimated loss was about $405,000 between the buildings and their contents, Bray said.
