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‘No working smoke alarms’ in fatal Cowlitz County fire, officials say

A Longview Fire Paramedic Unit, January 26, 2021 (Longview Police & Fire)

PORTLAND, Ore. (KOIN) – A motorhome caught fire in Cowlitz County early Wednesday morning, killing a person inside, according to the Longview Fire Department.

Firefighters and police officers say they responded to the location, which has yet to be specified, to find the vehicle engulfed. Once officials controlled the fire and searched the motorhome, they say they found a victim who had “succumbed to fire conditions.”

Police have yet to publicly identify the victim, and the cause of the fire remains under investigation. Authorities say the fire had been contained to the motorhome, which is now a “total loss.”

Battalion Chief Matt Amos said the motorhome did not have any working smoke alarms.

“It’s that time of year we are getting our recreational vehicles prepared for summer travel, and it is important to check those living spaces for working smoke alarms,” he said.