(WSB photo, midday Monday)
Seattle Fire crews are still keeping “fire watch” at the scene of last night’s house fire in the 5200 block of 18th SW on Puget Ridge (WSB coverage here). And SFD spokesperson Lt. Sue Stangl has just sent word of what investigators determined: The fire was accidental.
(WSB photo, midday Monday)
She adds that damage is estimated at “$250,000 loss to structure and $50,000 to contents. A lamp tipped over and ignited some clothing. There was a delay in calling the fire department as the resident tried to extinguish the fire twice.” As SFD reminds in this post on the SFD Fire Line site, please don’t ever wait to call for help:
… A resident used two fire extinguishers to fight the visible flames. When the fire appeared to be extinguished, he left the room. A short time later he returned to find a fully involved room fire. He and his roommates attempted again to put water on the fire but it grew too fast. Once they realized that they couldn’t conquer the rapidly growing fire, they called 9-1-1 and exited the building. Having a fire extinguisher in an accessible location can help keep your home fire safe. The most important step is to immediately call 9-1-1 at the first sign of a fire. Once you know that help is on the way, you can then decide if the fire is small enough to utilize your fire extinguisher. …
You’ll find even more safety information in the Fire Line update.
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