November 15—Combustibles stored too close to the duct of natural gas heater is the cause of a fire this morning in North Seattle according to a Seattle Fire Investigator. The fire originated inside a second floor bedroom of a two story residential and commercial building in the 11200 block of Greenwood Avenue North.

The first call came into Fire Alarm Center at 11:30 a.m. reporting flames visible inside the building. Engine Company 31 arrived to see flames through the window of the bedroom and smoke coming from the eaves of the building.

Ladder Company 5 headed to the roof to make sure the fire did not spread through the attic. Firefighters were able to knock down the flames and extinguish the fire within 10 minutes of arriving on the scene.

A Seattle Fire Investigator estimates the damage at $100,000 to the structure and $25,000 to the contents. No one was home at the time of the fire and there were no injuries.

Seattle Fire Department Public Education Unit says the leading cause of home fires during the months of December, January and February is heating equipment.

According to the National Fire Protection Association, in 2009, heating equipment caused 58,900 home structure fires and caused $1.1 billion in direct property damage.

The Seattle Fire Department encourages residents to keep anything flammable, including furniture, a safe distance from heaters.