EVERETT — A woman and three children escaped a burning home early Saturday morning without injury.
Everett firefighters were dispatched to the fire on the 3600 block of Geyer Lane at about 4:56 a.m.
From about two blocks away, firefighters spotted a large column of smoke and flames coming out of the house, Assistant Fire Marshal Eric Hicks said. About 20 firefighters arrived to find flames coming out of several windows.
A woman had been sleeping in a second-floor bedroom when the sound of a fire alarm woke her. She smelled smoke and quickly went to the basement where three children were sleeping. They escaped from the basement and called 911.
It took firefighters about 50 minutes to extinguish the fire, Hicks said. They continued to monitor hot spots until about noon Saturday.
Firefighters have determined that the cause of the blaze was electrical but it is pending further investigation, Hicks said.
There were no injuries reported. The home appears to be a total loss.
After the fire, a woman who rents part of the house returned to find the damages. The American Red Cross is helping her find a place to stay with her two children who live with her part time, Hicks said.
The woman who escaped the fire and her two children are being supported by a group from their church, he said. The third child was a family friend staying overnight at the home.
Hicks credits working fire alarms for saving the four lives.
“The family could have easily been trapped inside the house if it hadn’t been for the smoke alarm going off at the right time,” he said.
Hicks reminds people check to make sure fire alarms are working properly. He recommends having one installed in every sleeping area and on every level of a building.
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