Local woman dies in a residential fire

A 62-year-old woman died early Wednesday, in a fire at her residence on North Fork Road, approximately 12 miles east of Washougal.

Marlene Dorego’s house at 2232 North Fork Road was located off of Washougal River Road, in western Skamania County.

The fire was called in by a security company shortly before midnight.

Skamania County Fire District 4 personnel arrived to find the single story residence fully engulfed. Crews from Skamania County Fire District 5 and East County Fire and Rescue also responded.

The ECFR units included squad 96 from Bear Prairie; water tender 94 from the Mount Norway fire station and engine 91 from the Fern Prairie station. They were on the scene until about 3:30 a.m.

The Skamania County Sheriff’s Office said Jay Martin, a caregiver for Dorego, was awakened by the sound of an audible fire alarm. Thick smoke had started filling the house, and he briefly saw Dorego before losing sight of her in the smoke.

Martin went outside and tried to gain entry from the back of the residence, but by then the house had become engulfed. Dorego and Martin were the only occupants of the residence at the time of the fire.

The Clark County Medical Examiner’s Office will conduct an autopsy. The Clark County Fire Marshal’s office was requested and is in the process of investigating the cause of the fire.

This article will be updated, as more information becomes available.