Fire in fireplace spreads to duplex, displaces 6

A family using a fireplace to heat their Vancouver duplex was displaced after the flames spread to other parts of their home Monday night.

Firefighters were dispatched to the duplex, in the Bagley Downs neighborhood at 5815 N.E. 34th St., just after 10 p.m., and doused the blaze. The flames had breached the fireplace liner and traveled into the wall, damaging the electrical unit and causing an estimated $50,000 in damage, Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said.

To build the fire, the family used several pieces of wood that contained glue, which made the fire very hot, Scarpelli said.

She suggested that people only use dry, seasoned wood if they’re using real wood in their fireplace. Logs are seasoned once the sap inside them has completely dried, a process that can take 6 to 12 months.

“If people do burn artificial logs, we recommend to never burn more than one log at a time,” she said.

Scarpelli added that this is the third Vancouver fire so far in November that’s related to heating a home.

“It’s the season where the temperatures are starting to get lower and we really want people to be mindful about how they’re heating their homes,” she said.

Volunteers with the American Red Cross assisted the displaced family of two adults, four children and two dogs by providing lodging, food, comfort kits and information about disaster health services.