Smoke from two-alarm house fire could be seen for miles in east Vancouver

The Vancouver Fire Department battled a two-alarm house fire that shot black smoke and flames into the air Sunday morning in east Vancouver.

According to the agency, firefighters were called about 7:15 a.m. to a home in 13600 block of Northeast 36th Street.

Smoke from the fire could be seen for miles, with a black column rising from the flames shooting from the back of the house. The fire had already extended to several detached buildings and 100-foot-tall fir trees in the backyard when the Vancouver Fire Department arrived.

Explosions could be heard from blocks away, according to Vancouver Fire, possibly due to exploding propane tanks.

Residents were able to escape the house with no reported injuries, the agency said.

Firefighters on scene requested a second alarm because of the possibility the fire had spread to nearby homes in the Image neighborhood.

Firefighters stretched hose lines around the home and were able to stop the fire from spreading. Trees, sheds and fences were damaged.

“The fire was under control within 30 minutes, but crews were on scene for several hours putting out hot spots,” Vancouver Fire said in a statement.

Some two dozen firefighters battled the fire, with eight units responding. Seven people were displaced, and the Red Cross is assisting.

The Vancouver Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.