A man died early Friday morning in a house fire in the 2400 block of Burcham Street, according to Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue.
Crews were dispatched about 2:50 a.m., arriving to see heavy smoke and flames from the back of a two-story home. More crews were dispatched.
A woman escaped the fire with three dogs and told firefighters there was still one person inside.
She was waiting for her carpool ride to work when she heard the smoke alarm. She went downstairs to check on her friend and met with heavy smoke from the basement. Overcome, she was unable to alert him through a wall.
She was taken to Peace Health hospital and treated for smoke inhalation. A 45-year-old man was found dead in his room.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The $162,000 home was considered a total loss.
No other injuries were reported.