Mechanical issue likely cause of boat, car fire

Human activity and a possible mechanical issue with a parked boat appeared to have sparked three of Thursday’s several fires that had firefighters racing around the county.

Assistant Clark County Fire Marshal Richard Martin said the day’s most destructive fire — around 3 p.m. at Northeast 72nd Avenue and Northeast 139th Street in the Barberton neighborhood — appears to have started in a boat that had been parked there on a trailer for a few days.

Firefighters responded to reports of burning vehicles and explosions, and arrived to find a boat in flames.

The fire destroyed the boat, two newer cars parked nearby and the home’s car port, he said, and it damaged the home and other cars.

Fire investigators suspect the fire started in the area of the boat’s battery compartment, but were unsure how it began.

“It’s a brand new boat, and we’re going to let the insurance company be the one that tears it apart,” he said.

Investigators estimated the fire did roughly $380,000 in damage, Martin said.

Investigators suspect human activity started a fire in vacant building in Hazel Dell next door to King’s Way Christian Schools and Vancouver Church.

There was some old furniture inside the building, but investigators couldn’t determine if it was something such as careless smoking, or an intentionally lit fire, that led to the building burning.

“(We) suspect it was homeless, transients, kids — unauthorized people in the building,” he said.

The fire did enough damage to render the building unsafe for use, Martin said, adding the fire marshal’s office would likely work with the property owners and county code enforcement to see about removing the building.

Around the same time as the empty building fire, firefighters snuffed out a fire burning in a trash bin at Thomas Jefferson Middle School.

Martin said the fire appeared to have been set intentionally, but investigators had no suspect information.

Beyond singeing the built enclosure around the bin, the fire did little other damage, he said. The bin might need to be replaced.

Vehicle fires also slowed traffic on Interstates 5 and 205, and another fire, in the Lake Shore neighborhood, appeared to have been sparked by sunlight focused through glass, fire officials said.