A homeowner doused a porch fire at a Hough neighborhood home early Friday.
The fire was reported at 7:12 a.m. at 1802 Kauffman Ave., according to emergency dispatch logs. A ladder truck, engine, battalion chief and fire marshal from the Vancouver Fire Department responded.
Capt. Matt Krussow said his crew could see a smoke column when leaving the station. When firefighters arrived, the homeowner had put the fire out using a garden hose, Krussow said.
The fire caused an estimated $10,000 in damage, said Capt. Scott Willis, Vancouver fire spokesman.
It was unintentional and caused by the improper storage of a smoking object, Willis said.
Firefighters suggest people who smoke outside use noncombustible storage containers made of metal or glass to store smoldering materials, he said.
