Crews respond to outbuilding fire in Washougal

A fire destroyed a large detached garage in Washougal late Wednesday morning.

Camas-Washougal Fire Department crews were dispatched at 11 a.m. to 3300 block of G Street for a report of a structure fire.

The first fire crew to arrive reported that there was smoke billowing from the side of an outbuilding, according to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian. The fire department said in a release later Wednesday that a working fire was burning a large garage.

Firefighters were unable to circle the structure to check for flames because of overgrown vegetation, according to the scanner. They entered the garage but retreated due to heavy smoke. Crews used two water lines to douse the fire from the outside.

Firefighters were advised to keep a safe distance from the building as its roof has started to sink, according to the scanner.

“Initial suppression attempts were unsuccessful due to the age of the structure and the heavy fire load of vehicles and equipment. A defensive strategy was adopted and the fire was eventually extinguished from the exterior of the building,” the fire department said.

The fire was reported to be under control around 11:43 a.m.

The garage’s roof partially collapsed. Some of its contents were destroyed, and smoke and water damaged other items, officials said.

There were no reports of injuries.

The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Camas-Washougal Fire Marshal’s Office.