West Seattle, Washington

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Spotlight Stories


  • Closure

    LOW-BRIDGE CLOSURE: Continues today

  • Street

    ALKI HEALTHY STREET: SDOT starting work

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    WS GARAGE SALE DAY 5/11: Register by Thursday 4/25!

School-levy briefing @ Arbor Heights, with more on possibly accelerating AH rebuild to 2016
January 24, 2013 12:44 pm
|      38 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(From SPS administration, from left: Lucy Morello, Bob Boesche, Pegi McEvoy)
As ballots for the February 12 election, with two Seattle Public Schools levies totaling more than $1 billion, start arriving in mailboxes, a lineup of district officials came to Arbor Heights Elementary this morning to make the case to the media (turnout included four TV crews). They spoke in AH’s Room 19, in front of an old-fashioned blackboard. (Added: Unedited video of the briefing)

And there was news about Arbor Heights itself, which had been planned in the BEX IV levy to open a rebuilt school in 2018 (a year earlier than the once-tentatively planned 2019), replacing an aged, dilapidated facility with numerous problems: District officials confirmed what we heard at, and reported from, the West Seattle HS PTSA meeting last week – that SPS is taking steps to be able to move up the rebuild two years, to a 2016 completion.

More on that coming up – but first – the pitch for BEX IV and the operations levy:

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West Seattle education: Denny, YMCA, SWYFS get city Summer Learning Grants
January 24, 2013 11:21 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle education: Denny, YMCA, SWYFS get city Summer Learning Grants
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Photo courtesy Josh Sutton from the West Seattle/Fauntleroy Y)
When Mayor McGinn announced the recipients of the city’s summer-learning grants from the Families and Education Levy, multiple West Seattle recipients were on the list, and hundreds of local students will benefit. For one, the YMCA (WSB sponsor) plans a 9th-grade-transition program at Chief Sealth International High School and two other Seattle high schools. For two, Sealth’s neighbor Denny International Middle School received a grant too – principal Jeff Clark (in the photo above, second from left, with the mayor and Seattle Public Schools/Seattle Parks reps) shares details:

I am thrilled to announce that Denny International Middle School has been awarded a City of Seattle Summer Learning grant to increase the number of our scholars participating in our Westside Scholars Summer School program. Next summer, we will be able to serve 220 students entering grades 6th through 8th. The summer learning grant award of $73,363 will be focused on incoming sixth graders and will be augmented by other City of Seattle Families and Education Innovation Middle School funds to provide an exciting and rigorous program with core academics and enrichment activities during the six week program.

And North Delridge-headquartered Southwest Youth and Family Services also received a grant for a Young Writers’ Workshop in its education center. The official announcement was made Wednesday in Northgate; see the city news release here.

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West Seattle scene: What the inversion looked like from above
January 24, 2013 9:36 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle weather

It’ll probably be quite a while before we forget what it was like to be UNDER all that stagnant air – but, courtesy of Long Bach Nguyen, we can see now what the inversion OVER West Seattle looked like, just before it went away earlier this week. As for the weather ahead – though we’re seeing some sunshine now, the forecast says rain will return tonight.

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: Thursday, on the move
January 24, 2013 6:03 am
|      16 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

(Live view from the west-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
If you drive or ride on Avalon Way, remember that as reported here yesterday, the new stoplight at SW Genesee is in action. Only other traffic alert is the week’s final night of a scheduled southbound 99 closure between Battery St. Tunnel and the West Seattle Bridge for SODO overpass work, 10 pm tonight till 5 am tomorrow (and then one more week of Monday through Thursday nights). Be safe!

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Cross-peninsula basketball: WSHS visits Sealth, night 2
January 24, 2013 3:52 am
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

At the Chief Sealth International High School gym Wednesday night, it was the second night for the friendly rivals from West Seattle High School to visit – this time, for girls’ basketball. Above are Sealth and WSHS’s head coaches, Katie Jo Maris and Sonya Elliott respectively. Unlike the boys-varsity game the night before, the Wildcats went home with the win this time – 51-35.

Ahead, toplines and more photos:

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Reader report: Dog attack under investigation in Genesee area
January 23, 2013 10:15 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Pets | West Seattle news

Lorrie wants to get the word out about a dog attack that she says a Seattle Animal Shelter officer is investigating. She says it happened around 9:30 this morning while her husband was walking their small, leashed dog:

At 51st and Andover [map], two large dogs ran up and attacked our dog. Both dog and man were bitten. … The animal control officer came to the house & documented the injury. He feels confident he will catch up to them. They have also been sighted up at Admiral. They’re really large so I would want people with small children to be wary as well.

The wounds weren’t major, she says. But they called SAS and police. No photo of the dogs, so we asked for a description: “One dog seemed to be a German shepherd/chow mix – big and furry. The other, maybe a brindle boxer/pit bull mix.” We’ll be following up with SAS tomorrow.

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2 highway-project updates: No more ramp work till mid-February; ‘Timber Bridge’ work to start February 25th
January 23, 2013 9:53 pm
|      4 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(WSDOT photo of the ‘noise shack’ during interchange work)
Two updates tonight on the latest state-highway projects in the West Seattle vicinity: First, for those following the I-5 Spokane St. Interchange Vicinity Special Bridge Repair project, replacing expansion joints – it is NOT scheduled for any more weekend ramp closures until the weekend of February 15-18.

One week after that, on February 25th, is the date set for work to start on the “Timber Bridge”/Spokane St. Overcrossing on Highway 99 south of the West Seattle Bridge.

(WSDOT photo)
As the project page points out, this section of highway was built as a temporary structure more than half a century ago. It will be rebuilt in two phases so that traffic can continue to get through: “Traffic will be reduced to two northbound lanes and one southbound lane between South Nevada Street and the West Seattle Bridge from Feb. 25 through June 2014,” says WSDOT.

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Roxhill robberies: Denny principal’s letter to families
January 23, 2013 5:27 pm
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Denny International Middle School principal Jeff Clark is sharing the letter sent to his school’s families, following up on the Sunday and Tuesday Roxhill Park robberies reported here earlier this afternoon, and he says the district will have a letter for more families tomorrow:

As a result of Denny International Middle School students being the victims of recent crimes in the Roxhill Park area, we are contacting all families to remind them of safety-related recommendations for walking to and from school. Recommendations include walking with other students and heading directly home.

We have contacted the Seattle Police Department and have learned that a detective has been assigned to these cases. If anyone sees any suspicious behavior on the part of anyone in our community, we encourage you to call 911. Also, as always, if any student has any problem on the way to or from school, please tell any staff member at school. Tomorrow, Seattle Public Schools central office will be sending home a letter to all families with children who attend schools in the area.

Sincerely,

Jeff Clark, Principal
Denny International Middle School

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MAP testing revolt: Superintendent announces task force; test boycotters threatened with suspension
January 23, 2013 2:58 pm
|      38 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

In advance of a media briefing next hour about Seattle Public Schools‘ response to concerns about the testing known as MAP (Measures of Academic Progress), and a rally by MAP opponents after that, Superintendent José Banda has just announced a testing task force. Read on for his open letter (and, ADDED 4:30 PM, another administration letter saying test-boycotting teachers face suspension):

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Followup: New Genesee/Avalon stoplight finally working
January 23, 2013 2:53 pm
|      34 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | Transportation | West Seattle news

Just got two reports that the Genesee/Avalon traffic signal is finally out of testing mode and into official operation – co-publisher Patrick spotted it (and sent the above photo), while North Delridge’s Holli Margell just tweeted about it. It’s been in testing mode for three weeks; installment work started three months ago. Metro’s Route 50 has been awaiting this light so it can travel its intended route; that, we were told earlier this month, will happen when the next service change takes effect February 16th. The new traffic signal, years in the making, is the result of neighborhood leaders seeking and finally getting a city grant for it.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Students robbed; truck stolen; car found
January 23, 2013 1:09 pm
|      46 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

1:09 PM: For the first of this afternoon’s two West Seattle Crime Watch reports, we are still working to get more details from police, but for starters, they confirm the robbery happened: Stacey e-mailed to say she was walking through the Westwood Village parking lot yesterday afternoon “when four 8th grade boys asked to use my phone. They were visibly shaken up and had, they said, just been robbed at gunpoint by three masked men while walking down an alley near the park across the street (Roxhill Park). The robbers each had guns and the boys gave up their phones, wallets and in one case a backpack.” That’s all we know so far; police tell us more details will be available via SPD Blotter later this afternoon, and we’ll add to this report when that information is in. We have no idea at this point if there’s any relation to the armed robbery at a 35th/Roxbury business on Monday.

3:13 PM UPDATE: The SPD report says this was one of TWO robberies targeting kids that age, in that area, in the past four days – the first one was near 27th and Cambridge last Sunday, and yesterday’s robbery is now described as having happened in Roxhill Park itself. Details here.

(back to original report) Second, a stolen truck to look for: In the Hansen View area south of The Mount, a locked work truck – white Silverado with a Charter Construction logo and the word HEROIC on the back – was reported as stolen overnight. Here’s the @getyourcarback tweet; call 911 if you see it.

Speaking of stolen cars – the blue Camry reported as stolen in our Monday night Crime Watch roundup has been found on White Center, according to this comment from Melissa, who sent the original report.

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West Seattle Wednesday: Nine highlights for tonight
January 23, 2013 11:45 am
|    Comments Off on West Seattle Wednesday: Nine highlights for tonight
 |   West Seattle news | WS miscellaneous

Big bird

(Great blue heron photographed at Alki Point by Yuri Levchenko, shared via WSB Flickr group)
Before we get further into the day – nine notes for tonight from the WSB West Seattle Event Calendar – starting with two that affect WS but are happening outside our area:

SCHOOL BOARD (ETC.): Tonight the board finalizes the Capacity Management plan for next year; before the board meeting, opponents of MAP testing plan a rally outside district HQ in SODO. That’s at 4; the board meeting’s at 4:15 – updated agenda here (including details on the transportation plan for next year, which you can see here).

REAL TALK FOR GIRLS: Young women 12-19 are welcome at 5:30 pm at Southwest Teen Life Center to talk about what’s on their minds (2801 SW Thistle).

OPPORTUNITY FUND PRESENTATIONS: The Parks and Green Spaces Levy Oversight Committee (chaired by West Seattleite Pete Spalding) listens tonight to presentations by those who’ve applied for the second round of grants from the levy’s Opportunity Fund. While city staff has ranked Genesee Hill and South Park projects highest for this region, that’s just part of what the committee takes into account, and now is the time for applicants to make their case; eventually, the City Council has to give its blessing. This is the first of two events for presentations, and the closest one to West Seattle – it’s at South Shore Middle School (4800 S. Henderson; here’s a map), 6-9 pm, starting with an open house.

HIGHLAND PARK ACTION COMMITTEE: 7 pm tonight at Highland Park Improvement Club (or come early for the 6:30 pm potluck), 12th/Holden. Agenda includes talking with Seattle Parks about the possibility of more trees for Riverview Park, an update on the raingarden coming to HPIC, and a call for “ideas on what you think could improve Highland Park.” Plus – leadership nominations!

POEMS AND STORIES: The monthly poetry/storytelling night at C & P Coffee Company (WSB sponsor; 5612 California SW), 7 pm – more info here.

BASKETBALL – WSHS @ CSIHS, NIGHT 2: Tonight, the Wildcats and Seahawks’ girls teams face off in the Chief Sealth International High School gym (2600 SW Thistle) – 5:45 JV, 7:30 pm varsity.

OPENING NIGHT FOR ‘SHIRLEY VALENTINE’: The new production at ArtsWest debuts tonight, 7:30 pm, details here.

JAZZ AT DUOS LOUNGE: The new beverage/food spot on Avalon Way in Luna Park is starting jazz music on Wednesday nights – 8 pm, the Triangular Jazztets perform.

TALARICO’S TRIVIA: New addition to our calendar – though not a new addition to the West Seattle nightlife scene! Phil Tavel e-mailed WSB to point out that he has been doing trivia at Talarico’s every Wednesday night for five years, 8:30 till 10 (or a little beyond) – says he hasn’t missed a week, even in snow! $2 person, no maximum or minimum team size, “cash prices to the top 3 teams and bottles of champagne for the bottom three teams.”

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‘Preferred schematic design’ debuts for future Genesee Hill school
January 23, 2013 8:50 am
|      37 COMMENTS
 |   Genesee Hill | West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

A preferred “schematic design” was revealed last night for what is now going by the working title of the “new elementary school at Genesee Hill,” rather than “the new Schmitz Park Elementary at Genesee Hill,” according to project manager Janet Donelson.

The design was shown to about 20 community members in the Schmitz Park cafeteria, exactly three weeks before the February 12th election in which Seattle voters will decide whether to approve the Seattle Public Schools BEX (Building Excellence) IV levy that will generate the property-tax dollars for this $38 million project and others around the city.

As Donelson explained at the start of the meeting, the district provided some advance money to get the design work under way – since getting a new school open by fall 2015 would be impossible if they waited till after the election to start; a community advisory team has been working since last fall.

Ahead, four more views from last night’s presentation led by BLRB Architects, and what happens next:

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TRAFFIC/TRANSIT TODAY: ‘Out of the fog’ Wednesday edition
January 23, 2013 6:03 am
|      14 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle traffic alerts

(Live view from the east-facing WS Bridge camera; see other cameras on the WSB Traffic page)
Normal never looked so good. Everybody raise their hands if they’d had enough of the fog. (But don’t raise them if you’re driving! Don’t read this if you’re driving, either.) Once again, we’re on the move for the day. Besides the various projects under way around town, a traffic-alert again tonight: Southbound 99 closed again from Battery St. Tunnel to West Seattle Bridge, 10 pm-5 am, for SODO overpass work.

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Cross-peninsula basketball: Chief Sealth hosts WSHS, night 1
January 23, 2013 1:39 am
|    Comments Off on Cross-peninsula basketball: Chief Sealth hosts WSHS, night 1
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools | WS & Sports

The friendly cross-peninsula rivalry between our area’s two major public high schools is back on the court this week. Above, boys-basketball head coaches Keffrey Fazio of West Seattle HS and Colin Slingsby of Chief Sealth International HS, as their teams faced off Tuesday night in the Sealth gym, where the girls play tonight. In the boys-varsity game, the Seahawks topped the Wildcats 66-54, but it was closer than that much of the way:

Game toplines and more photos ahead:

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Interested in being District #1? Petition filed for electing City Council with 7 region-by-region reps
January 22, 2013 11:31 pm
|      9 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle politics

The campaign announced back in September to push for electing City Council members by district filed its charter-amendment petition with the city today, report our partners at The Seattle Times. Right now, for example, there’s one West Seattle resident on the City Council, Tom Rasmussen, but he, like his eight council colleagues, was elected to represent the entire city. The Seattle Districts Now proposal draws boundaries for 7 council districts (here’s the map; note that West Seattle would be District #1); read the full text here. So what would it take to pass this? All explained here.

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West Seattle Water Taxi schedule: One tweak; one commitment
January 22, 2013 10:28 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   King County Water Taxi | West Seattle news

(WSB file photo of the West Seattle Water Taxi, May 2011)
There’s scheduling news from today’s meeting of the King County Ferry District Board – county councilmembers wearing their marine hats, overseeing West Seattle and Vashon Water Taxi operations. First, one small tweak that local families say will make a big difference; second, a big-picture commitment that should be a relief to local professional sports fans. Details on both, ahead:

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Take 2 hours to learn lifesaving information: Youth-suicide prevention seminar/workshop next week
January 22, 2013 7:32 pm
|      3 COMMENTS
 |   Health | West Seattle news

Suicide is an epidemic – five times as common as homicide in our county – but fears and taboos keep us from talking openly about it, which may actually be keeping us from preventing it. Here’s a chance to make a difference – by learning life-saving information about dealing with suicide and depression among children and teenagers. It’s a free seminar/workshop that the Chief Sealth International High School PTSA will present 6-8 pm next Tuesday, January 29, at the conference room of High Point Library (35th/Raymond), in partnership with the branch’s teen librarian Ken Gollersrud. Two guest speakers are planned – read about them and what they’ll focus on, by going to the Sealth PTSA website.

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In case you wondered too: Seattle Police horse sightings
January 22, 2013 4:33 pm
|      33 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle police

(Photo courtesy Tammy Wooley, added 9:18 pm)
Several people called/texted/e-mailed to say they saw Seattle Police out on horseback on SW Barton within the past hour or so. So far, no photo – and when we went out looking for them, we couldn’t find them – but just in case you didn’t know, it’s not unusual to see them out and about, since the SPD horse force is based here in West Seattle, at Westcrest Park. We’ve reported sightings in the past, most often at Westwood Village (like this and this and this), where they’re taken for acclimation – they often show up at the summertime Picnic at the Precinct, too. As reported here two years ago, their funding was slated to be cut until the Seattle Police Foundation stepped in to help. P.S. If you saw them today and took a photo – we would love to share it – thanks!

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Beach Drive slide zone: Permits granted for slope work to start
January 22, 2013 2:57 pm
|      5 COMMENTS
 |   Safety | West Seattle news

(WSB photo taken this morning, looking southeast at the slide zone)
Five months after the city announced a settlement in the legal fight over the Beach Drive slide zone, there’s finally a sign that slope-stabilization work will start soon. As reported here in August of last year, mediation led to an agreement for “insurance monies and private funds” to pay for retaining walls and a drainage system to stabilize the slope below the 6000 block of Atlas (map), site of repeated slides, including this one in 2010:

Homeowners below the slope had sued the city and Atlas homeowner Peter Saladino, who, for agreeing to build the walls and drainage, would be spared “the majority of fines” the city could have levied (they had sued him too). Browsing the city Department of Planning and Development site last night, we discovered permits had been issued for at least some of the work, so we followed up today with DPD spokesperson Bryan Stevens, who explains:

Permit #6239617 includes 6067 Atlas, 6053 Atlas, and 6049 Atlas. This permit covers the construction of two retaining walls (one upper, one lower along Beach Drive), installation of subsurface drainage and revegetation of the hillside across the three properties.

Work can begin on the lower wall, as we have conditionally granted their request to work in this area during the wet season. The upper wall is in a more sensitive location and will have to wait until after April 1st, when conditions are typically dryer.

This work is of interest not just to those who live in the area, but also to those who use that much-rutted stretch of Beach Drive – once the slope work is done, the road can be fixed. (After last year’s agreement was announced, the city repaved a nearby section of Beach Drive that wasn’t directly beneath the unstable slope.) The whole mess even came before the City Council Transportation Committee two years ago this month. We don’t know yet exactly when the first phase of work will start, but we’ll update whenever we find out.

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Teachers’ MAP testing revolt: Superintendent to brief media tomorrow
January 22, 2013 2:09 pm
|      2 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle news | West Seattle schools

Another development in the movement of some Seattle Public Schools‘ teachers expressing opposition to, or even declining to administer, the testing known as MAP: The district just announced that it will “host a media briefing with Superintendent José Banda and other district officials regarding the district’s Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) testing” at district HQ tomorrow afternoon. The announcement says he will be joined by three district officials – interim teaching/learning assistant superintendent Michael Tolley, research/evaluation manager Eric Anderson, and Teacher Incentive Fund project director Clover Codd (a former Alki Elementary principal, by the way). No word yet whether an announcement will be made or whether it’ll be a reiteration of what the superintendent has already said. This all started when Garfield High School teachers announced they would not give the tests; since then, other expressions of opposition have included letters sent by the teachers at Sanislo (WSB report here) and Schmitz Park (WSB report here) elementaries here in West Seattle.

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West Seattle Crime Watch: Neighbor’s tip leads to burglary arrest
January 22, 2013 1:00 pm
|      19 COMMENTS
 |   Crime | West Seattle news

A 30-year-old man is now in jail for investigation of burglary, thanks to what Seattle Police describe as “an alert neighbor” who called 911 this morning after seeing a stranger “lurking” before vanishing into a yard. From the report on SPD Blotter:

This morning just shortly after 9:00 am, a woman saw an unknown male roaming around in her neighbor’s yard in the 3700 block of SW Donovan St, she then heard the sound of glass breaking. The woman immediately called 911 and gave an excellent description and direction of travel as the suspect was leaving her neighbor’s yard.

Officers were close by and quickly responded. They located the suspect in the immediate vicinity. The suspect was identified and detained for an outstanding warrant. He was subsequently identified by the caller as the subject in her friend’s yard. Officers determined that the suspect attempted to gain entry by breaking the window on the north side door.

P.S. We don’t know whether this neighborhood has a Block Watch but whether you do or don’t, if you’re interested in banding together to prevent/fight crime, here’s one more reminder that the West Seattle Block Watch Captains’ Network meets at 6:30 tonight, Southwest Precinct (Webster west of Delridge).

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Update: 4 dogs survive fire believed to have started in kennel
January 22, 2013 10:55 am
|      13 COMMENTS
 |   West Seattle fires | West Seattle news

10:55 AM: Crews are on the scene of a house-fire call in the 200 block of SW Roxbury – the east end of the street. They’ve already reported it as “tapped” and are dismissing some of the crews; more to come.

11:11 AM: Firefighters on the scene say what fire there was, was in the back of the house. No injuries reported; the investigation into its cause is under way.

11:25 AM: SFD spokesperson Kyle Moore has just been to the scene and provided new information: The fire started in a backyard kennel-type structure that was housing 4 dogs (all described as Chihuahuas). They’re all OK. But the flames did extend to the deck and the back wall of the house – the interior was not involved, so the house remains habitable. Investigators are still trying to find out what sparked the fire.

(This photo and next one courtesy of SFD)
4:36 PM: Adding photos shared by SFD’s Moore showing where the fire started (and spread), at the back of the home, where the wire kennel area was.

Still awaiting final word on the fire’s cause.

10:44 PM UPDATE: And that information’s now in – a heater in the “dog house” caused an accidental electrical fire, SFD says, with flames spreading to the wooden deck and siding before the fire was extinguished. Damage is estimated at $20,000.

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