A 59-year-old Vancouver man was arrested Monday evening after he allegedly set his own house on fire in the Hough neighborhood and assaulted a neighbor, according to the Vancouver Police Department.
Allan T. McCall was taken into custody after the chaotic hours-long incident at 1101 W. 19th St. that began with a 4:20 p.m. report of an arson and assault.
“Based on information that the suspect may be armed, Vancouver police contained the area in an attempt to locate the suspect and Vancouver Fire personnel were kept at a safe distance,” a police statement said. “Several neighboring residences were evacuated.”
Fire department spokesman Bryan Fredrickson said the situation was too dangerous for firefighters to attack the blaze directly, so two engines created a safety corridor — the vehicles were used as shields while crews protected two homes next to the house on fire, said Fredrickson.
Then, police officers provided protection as firefighters sprayed the home on fire from a distance, according to the spokesman.
Firefighters pulled a waterline to douse the flames before police requested they retreat away from the smoke, because an armed person was thought to be inside the burning house.
They had the fire contained about an hour after responding and stopped spraying water to clear police officers’ line of sight, because the fire was producing high heat and heavy amounts of smoke, making it difficult to locate the suspect or search the property.
“Once smoke and fire danger was diminished, a Vancouver police K9 was deployed and located the suspect hiding in the yard of the residence in an area that was not burning,” the statement said. “He was taken into custody without further incident.”
The statement said McCall was to be booked on suspicion of assault. An arson investigation was continuing, it said.
