Fire destroys vacant building and nearly takes out adjacent building

Hoquiam and Aberdeen have been plagued by a string of fires of late.

The Aberdeen and Hoquiam fire departments responded to a fire early Monday morning that completely consumed a vacant residence.

Firefighters were initially dispatched to the vacant house located on the corner of Scammel Street and Simpson Avenue around 2 a.m., with limited numbers of personnel initially available due to ongoing deployments, according to an AFD news release.

[As structure fires are on the rise across the county, here’s how to stay safe]

Crews began defensive operations, suppressing the spread of the fire to a nearby business and powerlines, according to the news release. Twelve firefighters responded in total, working for about three hours before clearing the scene.

A vacant Aberdeen residence was completely gutted by a fire early on the morning of Nov. 21. (Micheal S. Lockett / The Daily World)

A vacant Aberdeen residence was completely gutted by a fire early on the morning of Nov. 21. (Micheal S. Lockett / The Daily World)

The cause of the fire, the ninth such major structure fire in three weeks in Hoquiam and Aberdeen, is unknown at this time as the investigation gets underway, according to the news release.

The Aberdeen Fire Department asks that anyone with information about this or other recent fires contact the department at 360-532-1254.

Contact reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.