Furniture against heater caused Sifton-area fire

A March 27 fire that displaced seven people from two apartments in the Sifton area was caused by a piece of furniture placed against a wall heater.

The fire was ignited in an upstairs apartment’s bedroom, Clark County Deputy Fire Marshal Rick Searls said. There was no one home at the time, so the fire went undetected until smoke alerted neighbors, he said.

Crews dispatched at 8:30 p.m. to Prairie View Apartments, 12611 N.E. 99th St., arrived to find fire coming from a third-story window, according to a media release from the Vancouver Fire Department.

Firefighters made an initial attack on the blaze while searching the building to make sure all occupants were safely outside, the media release said.

The fire was brought under control in about 14 minutes, according to the department, which said firefighters worked to save as much of the occupants’ personal belongings as they could.

No injuries were reported. The Red Cross was called in to provide assistance to the people displaced by the fire, the fire department said.

The entire apartment where the fire started will need to be redone; Searls estimated the fire caused up to $130,000 worth of damage.

Searls said that as the weather changes and the temperature shifts from hot in the day to cold at night, people should take stock of the placement of their belongings. Heaters are kicking on and off due to the seasonal shift, he said.