Firefighters were called to a house fire in the 600 block of Fall Creek Road, north of Stella, just before 5 p.m. Monday.
According to a Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue press release, a resident reported seeing smoke coming from the garage door and from the basement of his house as he arrived home.
Fire crews arrived to see no flames or smoke coming from the two story house, but did locate a fire in the basement. Crews had the fire knocked out after 20 minutes on scene.
Officials estimated the damage to the home and its contents at $15,000.
The cause of the fire is under investigation, but is believed to be accidental. No injuries were reported.
"The fact that the homeowner closed the door once he recognized there was a fire in the basement limited its growth and spread to the rest of the house until fire crews arrived. It really helped in the outcome today," said incident commander Lt. Arrera in the release.