Vancouver firefighters extinguish blaze at Walnut Grove home that has had numerous fires
May 28-A recreational vehicle erupted in flames Thursday behind a known nuisance home north of Walnut Grove, triggering a fire and hazardous materials response. Neighbors say the property has been the site of multiple blazes in recent years.
The Vancouver Fire Department responded at 10:42 a.m. to the home at 10419 N.E. 50th Ave., to find the RV fully engulfed in flames.
A hazmat team responded to monitor air quality to ensure the smoke plume did not endanger nearby residents or first responders. A Vancouver Fire spokesperson said the team did not find anything hazardous.
Crews remained at the scene for about two hours.
No injuries were reported.
Fire officials said no one at the property identified themselves as the owner but that the property has a known history.
"What I can say about this residence is that it has had multiple fires over the years, which is evident by the condition of the structure," Vancouver Fire spokesperson Bryan Fredrickson said in an email. "We have responded to this location numerous times in the past."
Bob Richards, 79, said he's lived in the neighborhood for 23 years and has witnessed multiple incidents, including fires and a shooting.
"That house has had four fires now just in the last two years," he said.
The property owner, James A. Froehlich, was sentenced to three years in prison in 2018. He pleaded guilty to felony harassment-death threats and first-degree unlawful possession of a firearm after carrying a rifle into the business next door, making threats against an employee and firing shots as he walked away. After that, Froehlich barricaded himself in his house for hours as Clark County sheriff's deputies attempted to talk to him.
Froehlich was reportedly also convicted of manslaughter and attempted murder in Klamath County, Ore., in 1988.
Froehlich has been found in violation of multiple county codes banning dangerous buildings, inoperable vehicles, open storage of debris or junk, and long-term occupancy of a travel trailer on the property.
"This is the most complained-about nuisance case we have," Donna Goddard, Clark County's code enforcement manager, previously told The Columbian.
On Nov. 14, Judge Gregory Gonzales signed a warrant of abatement for the property.
Richards said Froehlich showed up at the property at one point Thursday while first responders were on scene, but he fled, leaving a pile of trash bags and a dolly on the side of the road. He said he didn't know why Froehlich fled.
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This story was originally published May 28, 2026 at 6:07 PM.