Vancouver apartment building under construction a 'total loss' after early-morning fire

A four-story apartment building that was under construction in Vancouver was gutted by an early-morning fire Friday that will likely take another 12 to 24 hours to burn out, said Vancouver Fire Marshal Heidi Scarpelli.

Once it cools down, she said, investigators will be able to get around the site to examine what might have sparked the two-alarm fire at the complex, at Southeast Tech Center Drive and Redwood Circle.

"It is a total loss," she said.

It is too early to say whether the circumstances are suspicious, she said.

The fire spread quickly through the wood-frame construction complex, which had drywall up in only a small area, she said.

About 40 firefighters from Vancouver and Camas responded to the fire, she said, which was reported around 3:15 a.m. Natural gas helped fuel the flames until a utility crew shut off the line.

No one was injured.

Investigators plan to review video footage from surveillance cameras around the site, she said.

Witnesses told KATU they heard an explosion and saw the sky turned orange.

-- Staff and wire reports

Read the rest here:
Vancouver apartment building under construction a 'total loss' after early-morning fire