At 11:12 p.m. a 911 caller reported a garage fire that extended into a home in the 300 block of NE 81st Street. Engine Company 16 arrived to find a garage on fire with the flames burning into a single family home. All of the occupants safely evacuated. The flames also exposed to a neighbor’s house next door. Within 7 minutes, firefighters were able to control the fire.
One firefighter suffered a minor ankle injury while battling the blaze and was transported to Harborview Medical Center where he was treated and released.
The fire investigator determined the improperly discarded smoking materials ignited a chair near the rear of the detached garage causing the flames to extend through the structure and into the house. The damage estimate is $45,000.