Mike V sent us photos of a house fire at North 67th Street and Palatine Avenue North this evening.
He said flames were shooting out of the west side of the house when firefighters arrived, but they were able to quickly extinguish them, but heavy smoke continued to come from that side of the house.
He said the owner got out of the house and is okay.
Thanks to Mike, Karl and Eva for sending photos and information!
Update Thursday 12 p.m.: From Seattle Fire Department’s Fire Line Blog:
Palatine House Fire Ruled Accidental
Fire investigators determined the house fire on the 6500 block of Palatine Avenue North on April 20, 2016, was accidental. The fire was caused by overheated electrical wiring in the kitchen of the home.
At 6:19 p.m., fire dispatchers received multiple calls of a fire inside the home. Engine 21, arrived to find heavy black smoke coming from the first floor of the two-story home with a basement. Firefighters immediately applied water on the fire and were able to knock the fire down from the sidewalk in front of the house. However, the fire was fought defensively due to the excess accumulation of materials inside the home. At 6:50 p.m., the Incident Commander determined it was safe for firefighters to enter the building and transitioned to an offensive approach. From inside the building, firefighters continued to fight the blaze that had extended to the second floor of the home. The fire was extinguished at 7:28 p.m. There were no injuries and the sole occupant of the home was on the sidewalk when firefighters arrived.
The total damage to the building and contents is estimated at 300,000 dollars.
Update Thursday 3 p.m.: Naydene, his next door neighbor, tells me that when the fire started, the homeowner knocked on her window and asked her to call 911. Some other neighbors, whom she had never met before, offered to hose down the side of her house to help keep it from catching fire. “This was a truly selfless and generous act for which I am very grateful,” Naydene told me by email.
