A house south of the Salmon Creek area was significantly damaged Monday morning by a fast-moving fire.
Crews with Clark County Fire District 6 and the Vancouver Fire Department were dispatched about 9:30 a.m. to 3711 N.E. 100th Circle for a report of a residential structure fire.
The initial crew to arrive reported that there was a working fire in the attached garage of a two-story house, according to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian. Flames were coming out of the back of the garage, according to the scanner.
Everyone was outside of the home when firefighters arrived.
Firefighters were examining the interior of the house, on its second floor above the garage, and trying to ventilate it when they noticed flames coming from the attic, Fire District 6 spokesman Dave Schmitke said. There was significant damage to the home. Schmitke said it is likely uninhabitable.
A total of seven fire engines responded to the scene, and crews had the blaze extinguished in about 20 minutes.
The Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office headed to the scene. Shortly before noon, the fire marshal and firefighters were evacuated from the home after what appeared to be dynamite was found in the garage, according to the scanner. A bomb squad was called out to handle the explosives.
However, it turned out there were no explosives; there was a box labeled dynamite — a gag gift the homeowner received some years back, Schmitke said.
“We were 90 percent sure there was no threat, but we can’t assume and have to call in the bomb squad,” he said.
A deputy fire marshal is investigating the cause of the blaze.
