Police, fire report: B.G. man fires gunshot into air as burglar flees
By John Branton, Bob Albrecht
Published: March 27, 2010, 12:00am
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Police detectives in Battle Ground are working to identify a burglar who, when the homeowner came home, fled out a window with a gunshot ringing in his ears.
Officers were called to the home on Northwest 19th Circle about 10:45 a.m. Friday.
They took positions around the area and set a tracking dog on the burglar’s trail, according to a bulletin from the Battle Ground Police Department.
The homeowner had returned home and confronted the intruder. When the intruder fled out a window, the homeowner fired a gunshot into the air, police said.
The burglar was described as a white man about 30, 6 feet tall and 180 pounds, who wore a plaid hooded coat and a black ski cap.
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A Battle Ground police tracking dog sniffed out the burglar’s trail. Near state Highway 503, officers found the coat and gloves he’s believed to have worn, the bulletin said.
The burglar escaped, but detectives processed the home and other evidence for fingerprints, DNA and other clues.
Anyone with information is asked to call 911 or Detective Sean Hendrickson at 360-342-5244.
Fire causes extensive damage to Camas house
A two-alarm house fire reported at 5:29 a.m. Friday caused extensive damage to a Camas home and temporarily forced the closure of Northeast Third Avenue, which connects Camas and Washougal.
At about 6:30 a.m., firefighters removed paint and other flammables from the garage that carried the potential to reignite the structure, 2531 N.E. Third Ave. The home was mostly destroyed, according to Camas Fire Chief Leo Leon.
One resident was taken to a hospital with minor burns, Leon said.
“We’ll probably be there for several hours overhauling and cleaning,” Leon said. “There are still hot spots we’re watching.”
Leon said the home is about 150 feet off the roadway and access is limited, which complicated efforts to battle the fire. Large overgrowth impeded the process, as well.
“There was just a long narrow path leading to the back of the house,” Leon said.
The Vancouver and Washougal fire departments assisted, Leon said. A damage estimate was not available.
Police: Window may let in more than a breeze
To avoid signaling an easy target to would-be burglars, the Vancouver Police Department says residents should keep their doors and windows secure at night and when they’re at work.
“As the weather gets warmer, people still need to be considerate of their residential safety,” said Kim Kapp, a Vancouver police spokeswoman.
“We tend to have residential burglaries occurring more in warm weather because of those types of practices,” she said, calling it “not a good safety practice.”
