Crews extinguish fire at Ridgefield-area outbuilding

Firefighters from Clark County Fire & Rescue on Wednesday quickly knocked out a fire in an outbuilding at a home in the Ridgefield Junction neighborhood.

When crews arrived to the house at 26618 N.E. 29th Ave., they found a shop on fire, with smoke and flames showing, according to radio traffic monitored at The Columbian.

Crews were called at 11:07 a.m.and contained the small fire by 11:25 a.m.

The fire was caused by hot ashes that were removed from a fireplace in the shop, placed in a plastic bucket and set down too close to combustibles, said Clark County Deputy Fire Marshal Ken Hill.

Someone noticed the fire and called 911 quickly, which helped firefighters limit the flames to some work benches in the shop.

Some high-quality hand and power tools also were damaged, Hill said.

Damage was estimated at $15,000.

Fire officials recommend that hot ashes be placed in a metal bucket, not a plastic one, and wetted down away from materials that can catch fire.

County property records indicate the home is owned by Orson and Shirley Ravenberg.