Fire heavily damages Battle Ground rental house, kills cat

A late Monday morning fire in a rental house behind a Battle Ground home severely damaged the rental and killed the occupants’ cat.

The fire was reported shortly before 11:30 a.m., when the pair living at the rental cottage behind a home at 8421 N.E. 179th St. returned home to find their home on fire, Clark County Fire & Rescue spokesman Tim Dawdy said.

Firefighters arrived to find the cottage engulfed in flames, Dawdy said, along with downed power lines and explosions coming from inside the structure, according to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian.

“Everyone was out of the house, but unfortunately, while no humans were injured, they lost their cat in the fire,” Dawdy said.

Dawdy said the residents were working with the Red Cross and their insurers. Dawdy encouraged renters see about signing up for renters insurance.

“Oftentimes I go to these fires and people don’t have renters insurance,” he said. “We hope that people take some time and maybe talk to their underwriter and think about it, if they are renters.”

Firefighters from fire districts 3 and 6 also responded, as did sheriff’s deputies, for traffic control. The Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office was investigating.