The Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office says the cause of a fire that destroyed a Little League score tower and its contents remains undetermined following interviews with numerous people.
“Vancouver police ran down leads and spoke with multiple people who claimed to have knowledge about the fire, but none yielded evidence,” said Lead Deputy Fire Marshal Dean Bray.
The fire marshal shared several theories for what could have ignited the March 27 fire at a baseball field behind Fort Vancouver High School, but none were proven. He said the investigation is complete but is subject to revision if new information becomes available.
Vancouver firefighters were dispatched around 1:30 p.m. to the school at 5700 E. 18th St., for a report of an outside fire. When crews arrived, they found a two-story structure on fire at one of the school’s baseball fields. It turned out to be the Alcoa Little League score tower.
Winds fueled the blaze, and the building was destroyed despite firefighters’ efforts. A total of 11 firefighters responded to the scene, Vancouver firefighter-paramedic Kevin Stromberg said. The fire was extinguished in about 15 minutes.
The Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office and Vancouver Police Department responded to the school to investigate.
Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said at the time there were two potential causes: an electrical issue may have ignited the fire, or youth may have been involved in some way, she said.
Bray, who led the fire investigation, said Tuesday there were conflicting reports about the incident. Investigators were unable to figure out who may have been near the score tower, if anyone, or whether someone had entered the now-destroyed building and had been smoking, he said.
It is also possible that an electrical failure started the fire, but energized circuits, wires and appliances could have sparked up due to another ignition source, like an already-burning blaze, Bray said.
The fire marshal’s office estimated the fire destroyed $41,000 of property.
Alcoa Little League used the score tower for storage of equipment and decades of mementos, including photos from games of one of the oldest Little Leagues in Southwest Washington.
The Little League’s board president, Justin Cvitkovich, said it’s been a struggle finding a proper field for his kids to practice. The fire investigation meant the young athletes were unable to use the field associated with the burned score tower.
Other leagues have been willing to switch around games, and the school has been accommodating about the use of other fields at the high school, Cvitkovich said.
The league started a Go Fund Me page to raise money for things like bags, bases and umpire gear, among other items. About $4,600 out of a $10,000 goal has been donated in 27 days.
Local businesses, leagues and individuals reached out to help. Cvitkovich said Adidas and Dick’s Sporting Goods bought and provided gift cards for equipment.
“We’ve been blessed by generosity,” Cvitkovich said.
Vancouver Public Schools needed the report of the fire investigation to get started on cleanup and repairs. The report was also required for the school district to file an insurance claim, said Communications Director Patricia Nuzzo.
The school district received the investigative report April 18. Insurance will cover the cost of replacing the backstop and the building, as well as “costs incurred to the district from the fire,” such as demolition and salvage of the old building and fencing, Nuzzo said.
Maintenance crews plan to start cleaning the charred remains of the score tower and the surrounding area as soon as possible, according to Nuzzo. She said fencing should be complete by late next week, so the field will be usable. The district plans to rebuild the tower, but its completion will take some time as a new building needs to be designed before construction begins, she said.
Editor’s note, May 3, 2019: The Alcoa Little League has received a generous grant from the Ray Hickey Foundation to help supplement its GoFund Me campaign. The grant has help offset the majority of the costs to rebuild, according to the little league’s president.
