The Clark County Fire Marshal’s Office has determined that a small fire inside a Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue boathouse at Ridgefield Marina last month was accidental and likely caused by an electrical issue, according to an investigation completed in mid-December.
The fire broke out around 2:42 p.m. Dec. 1 at the CCFR boathouse at 5 West Mill Street along Lake River. A city employee near the marina noticed smoke coming from the building and called 911. Firefighters arrived within minutes and knocked down the flames by 2:53 p.m., according to CCFR.
No one was injured in the fire. Two CCFR boats were inside the boathouse at the time. One was moved outside as a precaution, while the second remained inside after crews determined it was far enough from the flames. Neither vessel was damaged.
Firefighters found the fire concentrated near a pedestrian entrance on the building's east side. The eastern wall and several windows sustained visible damage.
Deputy Fire Marshal Jarin Wong, the lead investigator, said the evidence pointed to an electrical failure in the building’s wiring.
“The cause of this fire is classified as accidental. With the most probable cause being an electrical overload or fault within the wiring system,” Wong said.
Wong said the area of origin was identified along the south wall of a storage room, near a duplex outlet connected to circuitry serving wall-mounted heaters elsewhere in the boathouse. Several circuit breakers tied to that system were found in the tripped position during the investigation.
According to Wong, the fire grew unnoticed because the structure lacked early-detection systems. Smoke was visible to people outside only after the fire burned through the plastic-style windows on the boathouse wall.
The fire marshal’s report was approved Dec. 17. Wong said his role was limited to determining the origin and cause of the fire. Any further investigation, such as a more detailed electrical analysis, would typically be handled by insurance investigators if they choose to pursue it.
