Early this morning, East County Fire and Rescue (ECFR) was dispatched along with companies from the Camas Washougal and Vancouver Fire Departments to a residential fire with a trapped invalid occupant at 412 NE Blair Road. ECFR Engine 91 arrived to a working fire in a small one-story house and a resident confirmed that an invalid occupant was trapped in his bedroom. The firefighters from Engine 91 quickly stretched a hoseline to confine the fire and the Captain from Engine 91 assisted by the crew of Camas Washougal Fire Department Engine 43 rescued the trapped occupant.
The fire was quickly knocked down and the building was searched for additional occupants. Operations were hindered by the large amount of contents in the building and energized electrical wiring. Final extinguishment was delayed until the Clark Public Utility District personnel could cut power to the building. The Clark County Fire Marshal’s initial investigation indicated that the fire was accidental and it originated in the electrical panel of the home.
When this incident occurred, Engine 94 which is temporarily operating from Station 93 on NE 312th Avenue was out of service due to lack of staffing. Ironically, this closure moved one additional firefighter to Station 91 on NE 267th Avenue along with the two-person crew normally assigned to Engine 91. This provided sufficient staffing for the first arriving ECFR engine to be able to make entry, control the fire, and begin rescue operations. If Engine 91 had its normal two-person staffing, interior firefighting and rescue operations would have been delayed until an engine from the Camas Washougal Fire Department arrived at the incident.
East County Fire and Rescue continues to struggle with maintaining sufficient personnel to maintain two staffed stations, one on each side of the Washougal River to provide timely response. In March, the board of fire commissioners will be considering a fire levy lid lift that would provide funding for four additional full-time firefighters and replacement of aging apparatus.
East County Fire and Rescue provides fire and life safety services to roughly 10,500 people over 60 square miles in southeast Clark County. We are a combination full-time, part-time, and volunteer-staffed fire district responding to an average of 1,100 calls a year on both sides of the Washougal River.
More information about East County Fire and Rescue can be found at www.ecfr.us. Fire Chief Ed Hartin also welcomes your questions at ehartin@ecfr.us or (360) 834-4908.
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