Vancouver apartment fire causes $327K worth of damage

A fire at an apartment complex in Vancouver’s Bagley Downs neighborhood early Sunday caused about $327,000 worth of property damage, according to the city’s fire marshal.

The cause is still under investigation, Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli said.

The fire was one of two major structure fires during a busy overnight shift for Vancouver Fire Department crews.

At 3:48 a.m. fire crews were called to the Redwood Acres apartments at 3409 N.E. 62nd Ave. While en route, they spotted flames visible from more than a block away.

Fire crews quickly knocked down the blaze, which had engulfed units on the first and second floors. Other units were searched, and the remaining units in the apartment complex were evacuated.

The fire was brought under control after 37 minutes. In all, four units were heavily damaged and are uninhabitable, Scarpelli said. Eight people were displaced.

No injuries were reported, including pets, according to the fire marshal.

For several firefighters, it was the second major incident of the shift. Some had responded to a fatal, two-alarm house fire Saturday night in the Minnehaha neighborhood.