Local briefly: Girl, 3, injured in fall from window on third floor

Published 10:56 pm Saturday, April 12, 2008

MILL CREEK — A 3-year-old girl was rushed to a Seattle hospital after falling out of a third-story window Saturday night.

The incident happened about 8:40 p.m. at the Heatherwood Apartments in the 13500 block of North Creek Drive, Mill Creek police spokeswoman Robin Swanson said.

The girl apparently climbed up to an open window with a screen on it, Swanson said. The toddler pushed on the screen and tumbled out the window and to the ground, Swanson said.

The girl was conscious and alert when police and paramedics arrived. There were no visible signs of any major injuries, but she was taken to Harborview Medical Center as a precaution, Swanson said.

An estimated 4,700 children a year are treated nationwide for injuries sustained from window falls, according to health care professionals. A majority of those falls happen during the summer.

Saturday was the first day of warm weather this year in Snohomish County. Temperatures reached into the upper 60s and lower 70s. As the weather continues to warm up, child safety experts advise parents to move furniture away from windows and install safety locks on windows.

Tulalip: Firefighters pull woman from fire

Firefighters pulled an unconscious woman from a burning house on the Tulalip Indian Reservation early Saturday.

The 21-year-old woman was flown by helicopter to Harborview Medical Center, where she was in serious condition Saturday evening. Two others were in the house at the time of the fire.

A 41-year-old woman and a 5-year-old girl were taken to an Everett hospital for smoke inhalation. They were treated and released, said Robert Johnson, a deputy fire chief with Snohomish County Fire District 15.

The fire broke out about 4 a.m. in the 7500 block of Ezra Hatch Road, Snohomish County Deputy Fire Marshal Michael Ray said. The older woman and child escaped, but the younger woman was trapped inside.

Firefighters found her in the living room and carried her to safety, Johnson said.

There were smoke detectors in the house, but it wasn’t clear Saturday if they had been working at the time of the blaze.

The fire likely started in the kitchen and was caused by an electrical problem, Ray said. Damage is estimated at $100,000.

Darrington: Edmonds hiker injured in fall

An Edmonds man in his mid-50s was airlifted to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle after he slipped and fell Saturday while hiking west of Darrington.

The man and his daughter were hiking Saturday morning on the Boulder Creek Trail near French Creek Road south of Highway 530 when he fell down a 15-foot embankment. The daughter hiked out and called for help.

Rescue personnel took turns packing the man a mile out to a U.S. Forest Service road. The man had possible head injuries and was airlifted from the scene.

Fire crews from Darrington, Marysville, Arlington and Lake Stevens responded.

Monroe: No injuries after plane flips over

No one was injured when a small airplane flipped upside down at the First Air Field in Monroe on Saturday afternoon.

Around 3:45 p.m., a strong gust of wind knocked the Cessna off the runway and into a ditch, Monroe fire officials said. The pilot was able to cut the fuel to the aircraft’s engine. He and his two passengers were able to get out of the plane without problems, firefighters said.

The plane, coming in from Portland, Ore., had just landed.

The Federal Aviation Administration is investigating.

Tulalip: Wal-Mart cleared after threat

The Wal-Mart store on Quilceda Boulevard was evacuated for four hours after someone called in a bomb threat Saturday.

The store was cleared, and Tulalip Tribal Police and Snohomish County Sheriff’s deputies searched the store. Nothing was found and the store was reopened for business by early evening.

From Herald staff reports