Apartment complex at East 32nd Street and Bridge Street in Rose Village is seen here following an early morning fire on Monday morning, July 9, 2018. (Nathan Howard/The Columbian)Photo Gallery
The investigation into the fire at 3206 Bridge St., was completed, Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said Tuesday morning, though the cause remains undetermined.
“We can’t rule out that it was incendiary because in the area of origin, there were no ways the fire could have started. And we got conflicting statements from residents about smoking in the units,” she said, adding that the fire started inside the two-story apartment building.
Firefighters with the Vancouver Fire Department were dispatched about 2:42 a.m. to the apartment building. The fire began in a building on the northwest corner of East 32nd Street. The building is tucked behind twin three-unit buildings, separated by a small alley of tiny backyards and a walkway, which also caught fire as flames quickly spread.
Twenty-four people were displaced by the fire. No one was injured.
Fire department Capt. Pete Adams said it is unlikely the tenants will be able to move back into either apartment building.
Access to the unit where the fire started was described as “wide open,” with the door unlocked. Fire investigators have been unable to determine if anyone was inside the unit when the fire started.
Part of the issue is some of the people who were interviewed in the aftermath of the blaze were under the influence of an intoxicant, Scarpelli said. If the fire was ignited because of someone carelessly discarding a cigarette, whomever it was may be too embarrassed to admit it.
As for whether the fire could be incendiary, the fire marshal said her office was careful to look at all possibilities.
There have been two other fires in the same geographical area since November. On Nov. 20, a fire consumed two vehicles and damaged three others at a commercial car lot at 3205 St. Johns Blvd. The cause was determined to be arson.
More recently, there was a fire at 3100 Z St. Fireworks most likely sparked the blaze that destroyed a house and two outbuildings, but Scarpelli said the people responsible for lighting them off haven’t been interviewed.
“We have to look at all the facts. It may be plausible” that it’s incendiary and connected to other fires, “or it may be coincidence,” Scarpelli said of the Bridge Street fire.
Scarpelli is asking anyone with information about the Bridge Street fire to call the Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office at 360-487-7219. Any information leading to an arrest and charges could result in a cash reward, she said.
Morning Briefing Newsletter
Get a rundown of the latest local and regional news every Mon-Fri morning.
