A house fire in Washougal early Tuesday morning that displaced four people was intentionally set, according to the Camas-Washougal Fire Marshal’s Office.
Washougal police are investigating the arson and have identified a person of interest, Fire Marshal Ron Schumacher said.
Firefighters were dispatched shortly before 2 a.m. to the 1400 block of North Shepherd Road for a report of a residential structure fire.
The first arriving fire crew found a ranch-style home with an active fire in the basement, Battalion Chief Greg Payne said.
The crew quickly extinguished the fire, vented the house and searched for occupants, Payne said. No one was in the house at the time, he said, but four people living there have been displaced for at least a few days.
A total of six fire engines from Camas-Washougal and four additional engines from other departments responded.
The house was already in bad shape, Schumacher said, and the fire did not cause significant structural damage. He estimated there was about $15,000 worth of property damage. He declined to give further details about the fire, citing the ongoing criminal investigation.
