A failed electric conduit in the attic of a small store in the Bagley Downs neighborhood was the cause of Sunday’s two-alarm fire, according to the Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office.
Fire personnel responded about 5:10 a.m. to Novedades Lizy, a women’s clothing store located in a strip mall at 5904 N.E. Fourth Plain Blvd., after a passer-by reported smoke coming from the building, Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said.
The fire was contained within 30 minutes of firefighters entering the building with a hose and cutting a hole in the room to allow smoke to escape, according to a Sunday press release from the Vancouver Fire Department. No one was inside the building when the blaze started.
“Fortunately, the building was equipped with a fire sprinkler system, which quickly activated and controlled the fire in the attic until firefighters arrived to complete the extinguishment,” Scarpelli said.
The fire was ruled accidental and damages are estimated at $66,000. No one was displaced, but two businesses will be closed until repairs are complete, Scarpelli said.
