Engine Company 18 arrived to find the occupants safely outside of the home and the fire burning into the attic. Within 5 minutes, Seattle Firefighters knocked down the fire and began placing tarps over the resident’s valuables to save the items from water damage.
A Seattle Fire Investigator is calling the fire an accidental fire caused by heat from a smoldering fire in the fireplace which ignited adjacent walls.
The damage estimate is set at $65,000 to the structure and the contents. The occupants decided to stay at a friend’s home for the morning.
As we head into the cooler Fall days and Winter months, the Seattle Fire Department’s Public Education Unit encourages residents to have chimney and heating systems inspected, cleaned and repaired. Public Educators stress to never leave a fire unattended.
In 2009, the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) says 17,910 Americans were taken to emergency rooms for injuries related to fireplaces, chimneys and chimney connectors.
Nationally in 2008, $246 million dollars in property damage was reported due to fireplace, chimney and chimney connector fires according to the (NFPA).