At 5:46 PM Sunday evening, the Vancouver Fire Department responded to 9612 NW Lower River Rd (Frenchman’s Bar) in Vancouver for reports of a possible drowning in the Columbia River. VFD’s Truck 1 arrived within 11 minutes and immediately initiated water rescue operations with firefighters donning life jackets and using long pike poles. Responding crews also requested the Vancouver Technical Rescue Team as well as the Vancouver Fire Boat to assist. Other resources that responded and assisted on scene included: A Vancouver Battalion Chief, the Portland Fire Bureau Boat (FB 17), the Multnomah County and Clark County Sheriff’s Boat, AMR and VPD. The Coast Guard was also notified. Witnesses called 911 after an adult male in his early 20’s went under the water about 15 feet from the shore and did not reappear. Friends told crews on scene that he was not a strong swimmer and he was not wearing a life jacket. While fire and EMS crews were responding there was a large, but unsuccessful, effort by civilian personnel to try to locate the victim. Rescue swimmers performed a coordinated grid search while the rescue boats conducted “drag” operations and searched the river using radar. After about an hour, crews on scene shifted from rescue to recovery operations. Crews on scene searched for the victim in the river and performed water rescue operations for over 2 hours. At the time of this press release, the victim had not yet been found. The scene was turned over to the Clark County Sheriff’s Office to continue dive operations.
The Vancouver Fire Department recommends that its citizens wear a life jacket for safety. We also want to warn beach goers that local river currents can still be deceivingly strong.
At 1:44 today Vancouver Firefighters were called to 4214 NE Thurston Way in Vancouver, WA for a single-story home that was on fire and endangering adjacent homes. Firefighters had a fast response and arrived in approximately 3 minutes to evacuate the structure and extinguish the flames. One dog was removed from the structure by firefighters and survived. No citizens were inside the burning structure when we arrived. Vancouver Fire had five Engines, two Trucks, two Battalion Chiefs and One Fire Marshal on scene. A total of 26 personnel from Vancouver Fire were there. Only one house had damage inside and four of those residents were displaced. Another house suffered minor exterior damage. However, firefighters were able to stop the flames from spreading inside the second house.
Today Vancouver Fire Department responded to reports of a house fire at 2607 E 21st St in Vancouver, WA. Initial units arrived after just 2.5 minutes. They found a duplex on fire with one injured resident outside. Initial medical aid was rendered by Vancouver Fire Department paramedics and EMTs. Pt was later transported to Peach Health SW Medical Center by our valued partners at American Medicla Response. The structure was quickly searched to make sure no one else was in danger. Vancouver Fire had four supression units on scene along with three additional suppression units from Fire District 6. A total of 19 personnel had the fire under control within 21 minutes. No additional injuries were reported. A total of four adults and two dogs were displaced from the duplex. Fire Marshal 4 is on scene investigating from the Vancouver Fire Marshal's Office.
At approximately 6:23 pm this evening, Vancouver fire units were dispatched to a two-car motor vehicle accident at the intersection of NE 132nd avenue and NE 31st street with the report of a person trapped in a vehicle and in need of extrication. The first engine arrived within approximately four minutes and immediately began extricating the trapped person from the wreckage using large cutting and spreading tools. Additional units arrived and assisted with completing the extrication and treating the patient. The patient, an adult male was extricated within eight minutes of the first unit arriving and transported via AMR Ambulance with the assistance of Vancouver Fire Department paramedics to an area hospital with what were deemed life threatening injuries. The Vancouver Police Department is investigating the accident.
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Friday night at 9:46PM, Vancouver Fire Department was dispatched to a rollover accident on northbound I-205, south of the Padden Parkway exit. Two vehicles left the roadway and came to rest on the east side of I-205. One vehicle was found approximately 50 feet off of the roadway on its side. The driver was able to exit the vehicle and was being cared for by Good Samaritans who had stopped to help. She was treated on scene by Vancouver Fire paramedics and then transported by ambulance to a local area hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. The second vehicle left the roadway, rolled then struck a tree which caved in the roof of the SUV. It came to rest on its tires. The trunk of the tree broke off eight to ten feet above the ground and came to rest on top of the vehicle. The driver was conscious and trapped inside. Initial crews worked to stabilize the fallen tree in order to safely extricate the driver. As subsequent crews arrived, they went to work on removing damaged parts of the vehicle with cutting and spreading tools. The driver was removed and transported by AMR to a local area hospital with life-threatening injuries. A tow truck from TLC Towing was called to lift the tree with their crane boom so firefighters could safely ensure there were no other occupants in the second vehicle. None were found.
A total of seven VFD apparatus were on scene with 18 firefighters and command staff. The cause of the accident was under investigation by the Washington State Patrol.
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