Published: Thursday, June 21, 2007
Home lost; family escapes
-
Dan Bates / The Herald
Capt. Dave Rich of the Everett Fire Department knocks open an upstairs window in Al Jones' house as it burns Wednesday in Everett.
EVERETT- For Al Jones, bad luck comes in threes.
He needs open-heart surgery to repair a bleeding valve, but can't afford it.
He tripped and fell Friday, badly smashing his jaw into the pavement while collecting his older neighbor's recycling bins.
Then Wednesday afternoon, his home burned down, killing his cat, Blacky.
"A good life, and all of a sudden it went up like a kite," said Jones, who recently turned 70. "We've been having a lot of bad luck here lately."
Firefighters tried to control the lunchtime blaze near Beverly Lake, but it swept through the three-story home too quickly, said Glen Martinsen, Everett Fire Department assistant chief and fire marshal.
"Chances are that the building is going to be a total loss," Martinsen said. He said the cause of the fire appeared to be accidental.
The fire apparently started in the basement, where Jones said he was watching television. He said he repairs old televisions in a basement work area as a hobby.
"I walked out, came back, and it was all in flames," he said.
Jones said his family lived 40 years in the house, where he raised two daughters and a son.
Jones, his wife, Rose, and son, Doug, were all home at the time of the fire. As the house filled with smoke, someone in the family called 911 and they all ran outside carrying one of their cats, Harry. No one was injured.
Al Jones said his wife was shaken up by the fire. He said her medications and stuffed animal collection were inside the destroyed home.
The home is insured, Jones said. The Red Cross was helping the family make plans for food, housing and clothing.
Jones watched firefighters for more than an hour as they tried to douse the stubborn, smoky fire that sent dark clouds billowing through the neighborhood.
The smoke drew Manveer and Avi Sandhu, who stopped working on a truck and rushed to help their neighbors.
"I thought it was a barbecue out of control," said Manveer Sandhu, 17. They were surprised to find the house burning.
It was a relief to see the Jones family running out of the house, upset but safe.
"They got out in time," Sandhu said.
He needs open-heart surgery to repair a bleeding valve, but can't afford it.
He tripped and fell Friday, badly smashing his jaw into the pavement while collecting his older neighbor's recycling bins.
Then Wednesday afternoon, his home burned down, killing his cat, Blacky.
"A good life, and all of a sudden it went up like a kite," said Jones, who recently turned 70. "We've been having a lot of bad luck here lately."
Firefighters tried to control the lunchtime blaze near Beverly Lake, but it swept through the three-story home too quickly, said Glen Martinsen, Everett Fire Department assistant chief and fire marshal.
"Chances are that the building is going to be a total loss," Martinsen said. He said the cause of the fire appeared to be accidental.
The fire apparently started in the basement, where Jones said he was watching television. He said he repairs old televisions in a basement work area as a hobby.
"I walked out, came back, and it was all in flames," he said.
Jones said his family lived 40 years in the house, where he raised two daughters and a son.
Jones, his wife, Rose, and son, Doug, were all home at the time of the fire. As the house filled with smoke, someone in the family called 911 and they all ran outside carrying one of their cats, Harry. No one was injured.
Al Jones said his wife was shaken up by the fire. He said her medications and stuffed animal collection were inside the destroyed home.
The home is insured, Jones said. The Red Cross was helping the family make plans for food, housing and clothing.
Jones watched firefighters for more than an hour as they tried to douse the stubborn, smoky fire that sent dark clouds billowing through the neighborhood.
The smoke drew Manveer and Avi Sandhu, who stopped working on a truck and rushed to help their neighbors.
"I thought it was a barbecue out of control," said Manveer Sandhu, 17. They were surprised to find the house burning.
It was a relief to see the Jones family running out of the house, upset but safe.
"They got out in time," Sandhu said.
Comments
(
