Car crashes into house, sparks house fire in east Vancouver

A car crashed into a home and caught fire, setting the residence’s siding ablaze, just outside of east Vancouver city limits Wednesday.

Vancouver Fire Department crews were dispatched, at the request of law enforcement, at 1:06 p.m. to 2610 N.E. 164th Ave. 

Fire department spokesman Joe Spatz said a vehicle crashed into the two-story home’s electrical gas meter box. There was no active gas leak caused by the impact, he said.

Flames from the vehicle spread to the vinyl siding of the house, Spatz said. Firefighters had to wait until the home’s electricity was shut off before crews could start dousing the fire with water. Still, it only took about 10 minutes to get the blaze under control.

The fire damaged the outside of the house only, according to Spatz.

Firefighters entered the home and found it was unoccupied. No firefighters were injured during the incident.
Five engines, a ladder truck and a battalion chief responded to the scene.

It was not immediately known what led up to the crash and house fire. Vancouver Police Department spokeswoman Kim Kapp said the suspect driver is involved in a Portland Police Bureau case, and she directed questions to that agency. 

Kapp said Portland police officers handled the incident and took the suspect into custody.