The Columbian | Serving Clark County, Washington

A 64-year-old woman was helped out the back of her burning second-story apartment before dawn Friday by three other tenants at the Autumn Chase Apartments, 11301 N.E. 7th St., according to a Vancouver Fire Department spokesman.

Faith Hobbs was screaming when she called 911 at 12:59 a.m. and then her phone went dead. She was in room 8 of building H, her unit filled with flames from a fire believed to have started in the apartment next door.

Three men rushed to her aid, helping Hobbs start her climb over the railing outside the building and positioning themselves below in the event she fell.

Working smoke detectors and visible flames had drawn the men’s attention, said Capt. Kevin Murray, and led to Hobbs’ rescue.

“For them to put themselves at risk like that is tremendous,” Murray said.

Firefighters reached the scene at about 1:04 a.m. to find flames coming from two upstairs units, in the treeline and atop bushes. An engine from the Cascade Park station, 213 N.E. 120th Ave., was the first to respond.

“It’s a pretty significant amount of fire that was coming out of these two apartments,” Murray said.” To not have a fatality is pretty fortunate. All the stars lined up there.”

Hobbs and a 45-year-old man were transported to Southwest Washington Medical Center to be treated for minor cases of smoke inhalation. There were no other injuries reported.

One cat died in the fire and another is missing.

The blaze caused $500,000 damage, including the structure and contents.

Friday evening, the cause remained under active investigation, said firefighter-spokesman Jim Flaherty.

At that time of night, when many folks were likely home and sleeping, “It was a very close call,” Flaherty said.

All tenants at the complex are required to have renter’s insurance, Murray said.

Later Friday, tenants huddled near the burned building, recapping the fire that woke some of them from deep sleep.

“I was up there, and it was hot,” said Robin Halsworth, who lives around the corner from Hobbs and was turned away by flames that tore through wood and blew out windows.

A woman named Colleen, who declined to give her last name, pointed to her apartment, H-10, which pushed against the unit where the fire stopped.

“The flames were this close to me and the police officer (who helped her out),” she said, holding her hands about a foot from her face. “We saw the fire coming.”

Bob Albrecht: 360-735-4522 or bob.albrecht@columbian.com. John Branton: 360-735-4513, john.branton@columbian.com

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