August 5—A Seattle Fire Investigator determined a fire at a South Seattle residence was caused by improperly discarded smoking materials. It’s being classified as an accidental fire.

At 11:47 a.m. multiple neighbors called dispatchers at the Fire Alarm Center to report black smoke coming from a home located at 11400 block of Woodley Avenue South. Skyway Engine Company 22 arrived first to find a detached garage fire which extended to a neighboring house. Seattle Engine Company 28 arrived to find the extended into the attic of the house. It took 44 firefighters an hour to completely extinguish the flames.

The investigator determined the fire started in a debris pile. The flames extended to a neighbor’s garage. The fire then spread over dry grass to a home, ran up the siding and into the attic of the 1-story house.

The damage estimate for both structures and contents is $180,000.

The occupants were not home at the time of the fire. There were no reported injuries.