Two people and several pets were found dead inside a mobile home after it caught fire Thursday morning east of Ridgefield.
Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue responded at about 4:30 a.m. to a fire at 24416 N.E. 50th Ave. A 911 caller reported hearing a loud bang, which woke them up, and then seeing flames coming from a mobile home, according to a fire department news release.
Crews arrived to find fire coming from the side of a small mobile home, along with a nearby shop building. As firefighters got a better look at the structure, they noticed flames in the rear of the building and inside, the agency said.
Firefighters stretched hand lines and worked to prevent the fire from spreading, the news release states.
More crews arrived from Clark County Fire District 10 and the Vancouver Fire Department, and firefighters were able to bring the blaze under control, Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue said. They worked for the next few hours extinguishing hotspots.
While crews were mopping up, they found two people dead inside the mobile home, along with their pets, according to the fire agency.
Both the mobile home and shop building were severely damaged.
The Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating and had not yet determined a cause, according to the news release.
A total of five fire engines, five water tenders, two ladder trucks, six chief officers, three fire investigators and one AMR unit responded. Clark County Fire District 3 and the Clark County Sheriff’s Office also assisted.
