Fire damages auto shop in Vancouver

A fire inside an auto detailing shop on Main Street in Vancouver caused more than $40,000 in damage this morning.

Firefighters were dispatched at 7:18 a.m. to Walt’s Quality Auto Detailing, 3714 Main St. When they arrived they found flames in a room inside the shop. They were able to contain the fire to the room and had the fire knocked down by about 7:45 a.m.

Nobody was injured.

The fire was caused by a space heater that was too close to combustible items, said Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli. She added that it is important to keep objects at least three feet away from running space heaters.

“With the temperature dipping down and getting chilly, people are turning to additional heat sources in their homes,” Scarpelli said, and the danger for these types of fires increases.

Scarpelli said her office is investigating whether someone was living in the auto shop, which would be a violation of safety codes.

“You can’t live in a commercial property unless it’s designed for it,” she said.

According to the American Red Cross, the fire displaced one adult. The organization provided the displaced person with lodging, food, clothing, a comfort kit and information about disaster health services, according to a news release from the Red Cross.