Washougal woman’s son, friend, dog recovering from injuries due to house fire

A Washougal family and a friend who was living with them are recovering after suffering injuries in a fire that destroyed their home.

The fire was reported at 8:03 a.m. on March 10 at 9302 Washougal River Road, according to Skamania County Fire District 4 Fire Chief Chris Fuller. The cause remains under investigation, he said.

Sherrill Morgan, the homeowner, said she was sleeping in an RV parked on the property when she heard screaming early that morning. When she went outside, she saw the house fully ablaze and a friend the family was temporarily hosting rolling on the ground after catching fire.

Next, Morgan saw her 28-year-old son, Tobi, with his head on fire. He also had been inside the house when the fire ignited.

Tobi Morgan was hospitalized with severe burns. He recently underwent skin graft surgery at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland.

Sherrill Morgan said the friend who was staying with the family was also hospitalized, although she did not know the extent of her injuries. The friend also owned a dog that was severely burned.

Sherrill Morgan said most of the family’s belongings were lost in the fire. Three of the Morgans’ cats — Joyce, Howard and Lenny — are still missing.

“I never dreamed in my life that people I loved, pets I loved, would be injured in this way,” Sherrill Morgan said. “Our home is totally gone. It was just horrid. I shook for a week after the fire.”

A GoFundMe was created to help Tobi Morgan.

The West Columbia Gorge Humane Society is caring for Munchie, the dog that was severely burned and had to be hospitalized for a week. The organization is raising money on its website to cover nearly $20,000 in medical expenses for Munchie.

Munchie sustained severe burns across much of her body, including her eyes, and also suffered smoke inhalation.

“We knew immediately that she needed critical, specialized care,” said Micki Simeone, executive director of the West Columbia Gorge Humane Society. “We made a promise to her family that we would do everything we could to help her survive and heal.”