Man killed in explosion at a commercial building in north Clark County

A man was killed Friday afternoon in a fiery explosion at a commercial building in north Clark County, where he was installing vinyl flooring, according to the Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office.

Clark County Fire District 10 responded at about 2:15 p.m. to reports of a fire in the 2600 block of Northeast Horton Road, which is southeast of the Lewis River Golf Course.

Assistant Fire Marshal Curtis Eavenson said a work crew was using a torch to warm up vinyl flooring before installing it, because of the cold temperatures inside of the building. The torch ignited the highly flammable adhesive and caused a vapor explosion.

Eavenson said one worker was able to escape before the explosion but another was killed. Fire District 10 said it was the agency’s second fatal fire this year.

Three engines, three water tenders and multiple volunteers from the agency responded, according to a post on its Facebook page. Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue and Clark County Fire District 13 also responded.

Crews quickly knocked down the fire but stayed on scene to mop up.

The building had been vacant for a while, Eavenson said, until someone recently began renovating it.

Eavenson said the fire caused about $75,000 worth of damage but that the building remains structurally sound.