Unattended cooking caused Vancouver apartment complex fire in July

Unattended cooking caused a fire that raged through a modern apartment complex in Vancouver’s Fircrest neighborhood, injuring four people in late July.

The fire at Autumn Chase Apartments, 11301 N.E. Seventh St., east of Interstate 205, caused more than $151,000 in damages, said Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli.

Fires such as the blaze at the apartments “is the leading cause of preventable fires,” said Scarpelli.

“For cooking, it’s critical that people are present,” she said.

The fire was reported at 5:48 p.m. July 29. The fire raged through the I Building at the complex. It took firefighters only 35 minutes to control the fire, but by then, 16 units had been affected, said Bryan Fredrickson of the Vancouver Fire Department.

It was one of a nearly dozen calls, including fires, crashes and medical emergencies, keeping firefighters busy in Clark County that evening. Temperatures were in excess of 90 degrees as firefighters worked in the summer heat.

The apartment complex consists of multiple two-story, wood-frame buildings, each holding several apartments. It is owned by a San Francisco company, Jackson Square Properties.

Officials did not report the extent of the injuries suffered by four people during the fire.

Causing a preventable fire that results in injuries can expose the responsible person to legal action. The fire marshal said her office did not pursue criminal charges.