One of four townhomes under construction in a Ridgefield neighborhood was destroyed early Wednesday in a fire suspected to be arson.
Clark County Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched about 12:10 a.m. to 237 N. 33rd Court for a report of a residential structure fire.
The first crew arrived at the scene within six minutes and discovered a condominium construction project with one of the units engulfed in flames, Chief John Nohr said.
The structure was among one of four homes placed side by side. The condo that caught fire was sandwiched between two others, Nohr said. A nearby fire hydrant allowed firefighters to quickly douse the flames, he said.
There was minor damage to the neighboring units, which were built about an inch or so apart with the gap filled with fire-resistant board.
“In the past, when fires like this happened we’d generally lose multiple units. But that construction feature held (the fire) to the middle unit pretty much,” Nohr said.
The homes do not have roofs yet, which may have also helped heat escape upward, rather than spread laterally, he said.
Evidence at the scene indicated the fire was intentionally set, Nohr said. The Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office and Ridgefield Police Department are investigating.
Clark County Fire District 6 assisted in extinguishing the blaze.
