June 28—A Seattle Fire Investigator determined a fire at a Rainier Valley house was accidental and caused by an overheated electrical system.
Dispatchers at the Fire Alarm Center received multiple 911 calls at 9:21 a.m. reporting a fire in a home located on the 4200 block of South Elmgrove Street. Engine Company 33 spotted a heavy column of black smoke while responding to the fire scene. When firefighters arrived, they found flames blowing out of the back of the two-story house. The fire spread from the basement up the side of the house to the attic space. It took firefighters approximately 20 minutes to completely extinguish the flames.
A “Good Samaritan” driving by the scene noticed the smoke and pulled over, and knocked on the burning homes door to help them safely evacuate. Three adults and three kids were able to safely exit the home without being injured.
Red Cross was called to find temporary shelter for the six displaced occupants of the house.
The fire investigator determined the fire started in an attached storage shed to the back of the house. The damage estimate is 50 thousand dollars to the structure and 20 thousand dollars to the contents.
There were no injuries.