Fire destroyed a nearly century-old farmhouse near Ridgefield Monday night. Six people, including an infant, were able to flee the burning home.
The fire was reported at 22319 N.W. 11th Ave. at 9:40 p.m. It quickly spread throughout the two-story, four-bedroom farmhouse, which county property records indicate was built in 1920 and is owned by a La Center woman.
By the time Clark County Fire & Rescue units arrived, the house could not be saved, said Battallion Chief Tim Dawdy. Firefighters used water tenders to ferry water three miles to the fire, which they fought from outside the home due to the volume of the flames.
“The house is a complete loss,” Dawdy said from the scene shortly after 11 p.m. He described it as a “lovely old farmhouse” that had been in good condition.
He said six people were at home at the time of the fire: two adults, three children and an infant. All are safe.
The American Red Cross assisted the family, which has been left homeless. They provided assistance such as temporary housing, food, clothing, comfort kits and information on recovery services.
The Clark County Fire Marshal’s office will investigate the cause. It was too early to tell Monday night how the fire started or where it might have started.
Because of the size of the fire and the distance to the fire hydrant, arriving firefighters triggered a second alarm. Clark County Fire District 6 and the Vancouver Fire Department responded and assisted Clark County Fire & Rescue at the scene.
“We’re really glad everyone made it out of the home all right,” Dawdy said, reminding people to make sure they have working smoke detectors with fresh batteries in their homes.