UPDATE: Firefighters put quick stop on residential fire

Vancouver firefighters stopped an attic fire in a small home in the Sunnyside neighborhood before it caused major damage Thursday afternoon.

They arrived at 11719 N.E. 70th Ave. shortly after 4:30 p.m. to find light smoke coming from the attic of a small wood-frame home, according to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian.

An electrical problem caused the fire, according to preliminary indications, said Firefighter-spokesman Jim Flaherty with the Vancouver Fire Department.

Someone had quickly noticed the fire and called 911 before it had a chance to spread, and firefighters arrived quickly from their nearby station in the 12600 block of Northeast 72nd Avenue.

The occupants evacuated the home safely, and no one was reported injured.

Firefighters removed a 4-by-8-foot section of the ceiling to gain access to the burning area. Damage was estimated at less than $10,000, Flaherty said.

According to county property records, the home was built in 1957 and is owned by Helen Alsteen.