Fire Damages Home In The Dalles

Fire damaged a home in The Dalles on Thursday afternoon.  Mid-Columbia Fire and Rescue Chief Bob Palmer says the fire in the back portion of a home on 223 West 9th occurred during the noon hour.  Palmer says firefighters were able to contain the fire to a back room that had been added on to the structure as a storage room.  He said the fire appears to have been started by a heating device installed in the wall, adding there were a number of stored items in the room.  No one was home at the time of the fire, and a passer-by spotted smoke coming out of a window and called 9-1-1.  Palmer issued a reminder that people should keep at least a three-foot space between any heating device and combustibles.