An April 18 house fire at 11115 N.W. 38th Ave. that was complicated by the presence of a large, exotic cat was caused by a space heater, according to Donna Goddard, deputy Clark County fire marshal.
The heater, which was near the cat’s sleeping area, appeared to have been left on for an extended period of time.
“This heater was plugged in to an extension cord, and that connection appears to have failed and was the likely cause of the fire,” she said in an email to The Columbian. “Space heaters should always be plugged directly into an outlet and not into an extension cord, as the cords can easily overload and overheat causing a fire hazard.”
Goddard also said other electrical devices should not be plugged into the same outlet as a space heater.
An African Serval weighing between 60-70 pounds was unharmed in the fire but frightened. It injured one firefighter, who was bit on the hand.
