Sparks from saw caused fire at Red Lion at the Quay

A wind-driven fire that burned Tuesday afternoon at the former Red Lion Hotel at the Quay in Vancouver was caused by sparks from a saw construction crews were using on the roof, according to the Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office.

The sparks landed on combustible roofing material, Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said, and investigators deemed the fire accidental. It caused $70,700 worth of damage, she said.

The fire was reported by passersby at about 2:30 p.m., according to Vancouver Fire Chief Brennan Blue. Upon arrival, firefighters reported heavy fire on the east side of the roof being driven by strong easterly winds. Construction crews told firefighters an 8-by-10-foot shed on the roof housing the building’s water softening system was on fire.

Blue said the fire was mostly extinguished by 3 p.m. and did not appear to extend into the building’s interior. No one was injured.

The two-alarm fire brought some 45 firefighters, 10 engines, two trucks and five battalion chiefs from both the Vancouver Fire Department and Clark County Fire District 6 to the scene, Blue said. Vancouver’s fire boat also responded to assist from the Columbia River.

The old hotel is in the process of being demolished. Situated on a wooden pier just downstream of the Interstate 5 Bridge, it has been a prominent Vancouver landmark for generations.

Eventually, its owner, the Port of Vancouver, plans to redevelop the site.