A family of five was displaced after a house fire Monday night northeast of La Center.
Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue responded at 8:09 p.m. to reports of a structure fire at 5605 N.E. 384th St. Retired Vancouver Fire Department Battalion Chief Frank Mazna called 911 to report a house across the field was engulfed in flames, according to a news release.
Crews arrived to find an approximately 5,000-square-foot, two-story house on fire. Firefighters stretched hand lines and kept the fire from spreading until more resources arrived, the fire department said.
Firefighters brought the blaze under control, and crews spent a few hours extinguishing hot spots and mopping up, the news release states.
A GoFundMe created for the family identified them as Jacqueline (Jax) and Brandon Miller, along with their children, ages 4 to 22 years old. The fundraiser states Jax Miller is a nurse in Portland and Brandon Miller is a paramedic at North Country EMS. No one was home at the time, except for the family’s two dogs and two cats, who the fire department said are presumed to have died in the fire.
“While they are so grateful that their human family are safe, they are heartbroken at the loss of their beloved pets,” the GoFundMe states. “Their home is a total loss. All they have are the clothes on their backs. All of the family’s Christmas presents are lost. They will have a long road ahead to rebuild.”
Firefighters were able to retrieve multiple rabbits from an enclosure outside of the house, the news release states. No one was reported injured.
The Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating the cause of the fire.
Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue thanked Clark County Fire District 10, which also responded, for its help with equipment.
A total of four fire engines, five water tenders, one ladder truck, four chief officers, one fire investigator and one AMR unit responded, according to the news release.
People can find the GoFundMe at gofund.me/bb0cfe97.
