A Monday morning fire at an abandoned home in rural Clark County is being investigated as a crime.
According to Deputy Clark County Fire Marshal Caleb Barnes, the fire in the area of Northeast 72nd Avenue and JR Anderson Road appears to have been started intentionally.
Clark County Fire & Rescue crews were dispatched about 6 a.m. Monday to the two-story home east of La Center.
A passer-by told dispatchers that someone was using a hose to spray water on the fire. But when the first fire engine arrived eight minutes later, no one was in the area of the house, which was fully engulfed in flames, Fire Chief John Nohr told The Columbian earlier this week.
There was overgrown vegetation surrounding the home, and the grounds around the building were unkempt, Nohr said.
Firefighters searched the house’s first floor but retreated as the fire was spreading quickly. They noted the house was empty and in poor condition.
No one was hurt as a result of the fire.
Once the fire was extinguished and Barnes got a better look at the damage, he decided to open a criminal investigation. The fire appears to have been started in a stairwell, he said.
Officials believe it’s possible squatters had been living there. Barnes has not been able to reach the homeowners, but neighbors said no one has lived there for some time.
Barnes said he is working on identifying and locating suspects. He declined to offer more details, citing the ongoing investigation.
The house is considered a total loss, according to the fire marshal.
“It wasn’t in great shape to begin with. The entire second story is gone,” he said.
