A fire Saturday tore through a house in Aberdeen, destroying the residence, not far from Kurt Cobain Memorial Park.

One resident was transported for medical evaluation from the house, said Aberdeen Fire Chief Dave Golding.

“The call came in at 6:13 p.m. of a house on fire,” Golding said in an interview. “Fire and police units both saw a large amount of smoke from a distance while responding.”

A busy afternoon, Aberdeen fire assets had to move from an ongoing call to respond to the fire.

“Our crews were actually on the way to a potential motor vehicle crash on Highway 12 and our battalion chief and engine diverted,” Golding said. “Our first engine arrived on scene to find the house was fully involved and threatening the house to the west.”

The house, located on the 1100 block of East First Street, was engulfed in flames, threatening neighboring structures, Golding said.

“Fire was fought from a defensive stance while working to protect the exposure house to the west. They were able to protect the house. It did receive some damage to the exterior of the house. The house did not catch fire,” Golding said. “Crews quickly called a second alarm.”

The fire escalated rapidly due to some of the contents of the house, Golding said.

“The fire grew in intensity rapidly due to several oxygen tanks being in the house. Those were exploding inside the house and creating a very flammable atmosphere,” Golding said. “There was reports of people hearing explosions in the area.”

About 22 firefighters from Aberdeen, Hoquiam, Cosmopolis and Fire District 2 worked together to battle the fire, Golding said.

“I would say it was approximately an hour and a half to get it totally under control,” Golding said. “We were never able to make an interior attack on the fire because of the structural integrity. It wasn’t safe for us to go in there.”

The damage to the neighboring house is limited to the exterior, Golding said, with the siding melted and windows blown out from the heat.

“The crews did a very good job protecting that house,” Golding said. “It was very close to igniting itself.”

The house was a total loss, Golding said, with the fire still being investigated. The cause is not suspicious in origin, Golding said.

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or michael.lockett@thedailyworld.com.