A fire just before dawn Thursday heavily damaged a home in the Fourth Plain Village neighborhood.
The fire, at 3010 Watson Ave., was declared controlled at 7:32 a.m. It was reported at 6:33 a.m.
Vancouver Fire Dept. Capt. Chris Moen said the home was engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived. The homeowner, Michael B. Blocker, was at work when the fire was reported, but returned to the scene after firefighters called him to deliver the bad news.
A pet bird died in the fire.
Moen said the small two-bedroom house was built in 1936 and had several hollow spaces in the ceiling and attic, which made the fire tough to fight and increased the need for firefighters to poke holes into the wallboard to reach hidden pockets of fire. Seven units and 21 firefighters were on the scene.
