Two Fires Within Hours Challenge Crews In Vancouver

VANCOUVER, Wash. — Firefighters battled two fires within less than three hours on Thursday morning.

A house just off NE St. Johns Road caught fire around 7:30am.

Two men on their way to work saw the fire and knocked on the door at NE Maitland Road and 106th Way.  Nobody answered.  They found the man who owns the house inside a shop next to the house who said his daughter was inside the house.  The front door was blocked by smoke and flames.  The three went around back and got in through a sliding glass door, rescuing the woman.  She was not injured.  A dog was rescued by firefighters.

Just after 10:00am, crews were called to the Birchwood Lane Apartments on Northeast 62nd Avenue just north of Fourth Plain Blvd.  The fire appears to have started on a ground-floor apartment.  All residents got out safely.  Those who are displaced are being assisted by the Red Cross.

The cause of both fires are under investigation.