Cooking fire displaces family, likely overnight

A Thursday morning kitchen fire displaced a family, but officials expected they’d be able to return home by today, Clark County Fire District 6 spokesman David Schmitke said.

Firefighters were called to a rental home in the 10000 block of Northeast 36th Court, south of the Interstate 5 and 205 interchange, shortly after 11 a.m.

Schmitke said the family had moved in within the past few days, and the mother was cooking. She had some oil simmering and stepped away for a moment when the smoke alarms started going off.

A daughter walked in to see flames, and the mother called 911, Schmitke said.

Firefighters with District 6 and the Vancouver Fire Department were called, he said.

“By then, Mom had a significant portion of the fire knocked down.”

She placed a damp towel over the pan to help smother the flame, he said, “which is exactly what you’re supposed to do.”

Firefighters followed up with a spray from a chemical fire extinguisher, and found that although the fire had licked the kitchen ceiling, it did not extend into the attic.

The American Red Cross responded to help connect two adults and three children with temporary housing, the organization said.