Apartment fire caused by extension cord

A fire that destroyed a Vancouver studio apartment late last week was caused by an extension cord, and the blaze displaced one person, fire officials said Sunday.

The fire was reported at 10:40 p.m. Friday in a ground-floor studio at The Hudson Apartments, 500 E. 13th St. It started when a bundled-up extension cord placed underneath combustible materials heated up, said Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli.

Firefighters had the fire under control within about 20 minutes, according to emergency radio traffic monitored at The Columbian. Nobody was injured, Scarpelli said.

Scarpelli said the fire completely destroyed the 500-square-foot studio and the belongings inside. She calculated the total financial loss at about $94,000. Two units above the studio also sustained minor fire damage and smoke damage, she said.

“Sometimes people coil extension cords to keep them nice and neat,” Scarpelli said, but that poses a fire risk.

Residents also should plug electronics directly into sockets or into a multi-plug cord that has a circuit breaker. Extension cords should be visible, not tucked under combustible materials, she said.