Two-alarm fire damages Northwest Packing Co. at Vancouver port

More than 40 firefighters battled a two-alarm fire Tuesday morning at Northwest Packing Co., at the Port of Vancouver.

The Vancouver Fire Department was dispatched at 4:40 a.m. to the processing plant at 1701 Thompson Ave. Multiple 911 callers and the first arriving engine reported seeing smoke and fire visible from a mile away, according to a fire department news release.

The first engine to arrive found heavy fire coming from two sides of the building, the fire department said. A commander called for a second alarm, and 15 units of more than 40 firefighters responded, including crews from Clark County Fire District 6.

Firefighters stretched hose lines to protect the areas the fire hadn’t spread to, including nearby semitrucks and packing materials.

Crews gained control of the fire 51 minutes after the first unit arrived, according to the news release. No one was reported injured.

Representatives from Northwest Packing Co. guided crews through the large commercial complex, the fire department stated.

The Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating, along with the Vancouver Police Department.