Firefighters late Thursday night and early Friday were at the scene of a house that was fully engulfed in flames at Northwest Pacific Highway and Ninth Avenue, on La Center’s west side.
Several people called 911 to report the fire about 11 p.m. Thursday, according to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian.
The first crew to arrive said the house appeared to be abandoned or vacant, with no one seen in the area, but said that wasn’t confirmed.
Firefighters asked La Center police officers to learn more about the property, to find out if anyone was inside.
A firefighter radioed that live wires were down on one side of the house, and called for a safety officer to be appointed to protect firefighters from being hurt.
Firefighters were ordered not to enter the house, but to stream water from outside in a defensive attack called a “surround and drown.”
As of 11:35 p.m., with the house’s walls still standing, firefighters were seeking ways to get their water inside to control the blaze.
The address was believed to be 33916 N.W. Ninth Ave., according to preliminary reports.
John Branton: 360-735-4513 or john.branton@columbian.com.
