An inmate intentionally ignited a fire at the Clark County Jail on New Year’s Eve, prompting a response by the Vancouver Fire Department and city’s fire marshal, according to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office.
Firefighters were dispatched at 11:19 p.m. Monday to the jail, 707 W. 13th St., for a report of a structure fire. Sheriff’s Sgt. Brent Waddell said in an email that an inmate set the fire. The sheriff’s office operates the jail.
Jail staff extinguished the fire, Waddell said. The inmate may be charged with arson, but the sergeant directed further questions to the Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office.
Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said she was unsure the inmate would face charges. She cited the ongoing investigation, stating she could not offer many other details.
Much of what burned during the incident, Scarpelli said, was combustible materials such as paper products. She said the fire caused about $400 worth of damage.
