A Saturday fire that severely damaged an east Vancouver home was likely ignited by a malfunctioning laptop, according to the Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office.
The blaze at 903 S.E. 147th Ave. caused about $270,470 worth of damage to the rental home and its contents, Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said.
Three adults and two children were home when the fire started. They were safely evacuated, and no injuries were reported. However, the family has been displaced, according to the fire marshal.
Fire crews were dispatched at 3:14 p.m. after receiving a report of flames visible outside the house in Vancouver’s Mountain View neighborhood.
Five engines, one ladder truck, a battalion chief, a fire marshal and training officers all arrived at the scene around 3:20 p.m., according to an official at the Vancouver Fire Department.
The single-story house was already heavily on fire when crews arrived, and it took about 40 minutes to bring the blaze under control, the official said. The house is still standing, but the fire damage was extensive and the structure is currently uninhabitable.
The exact cause of the fire is still under investigation. Scarpelli said these types of fires generally do not start within appliances. Rather, it’s the charging component. Issues can occur when plugging devices into the wall, and the use of extension cords can cause problems, because coiled or knotted portions of cords trap heat, she said.
