Monroe house fire displaces family, injures one

Published 1:30 am Thursday, March 12, 2026

EVERETT — An early morning house fire displaced a family and left one person with injuries Wednesday morning in Monroe.

Around 5:38 a.m. Wednesday, fire crews responded to reports of a fire rapidly spreading on the back side of a home in the 13800 block of Chain Lake Drive, according to a Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue social media post. Upon discovering the fire, two adults and one child began evacuating before realizing one person remained inside.

The occupant was trapped as the fire intensified and conditions inside the home deteriorated, the post said. A neighbor placed a ladder against a second-story window, allowing the occupant to escape.

Upon arrival, fire crews found law enforcement and neighbors assisting the victim, who suffered smoke inhalation and cuts from broken glass during the escape, the post said.

First responders transported the victim to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle.

Fire crews established a water supply from a hydrant around 200 feet away, the post said. Continuous water flow from handlines and Ladder 33 helped crews bring the fire under control within 40 minutes.

Due to the proximity of nearby homes, crews evacuated nearby residences and monitored structures to prevent the fire from spreading, the post said. Law enforcement closed Chain Lake Road during the incident.

Around 8:45 a.m., the roadway reopened, according to a Monroe Police Department social media post.

The homeowner reported that the fire is believed to have begun in an area where an electric blanket was used on a covered patio to keep cats warm, said Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue’s post. The Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office will determine the official cause following an investigation.

The American Red Cross responded to assist the family, the post said. The home had significant fire damage.

Snohomish County Fire District No. 4 and Snohomish County Fire District No. 5 assisted during the fire operation and cleanup.

Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue reminds individuals to get out and stay out once a fire starts.

“No possession inside a home is worth risking your life,” the post said. “Fire doubles in size within 30 to 60 seconds and becomes life threatening in less than two minutes with a fully involved fire within three.”

Working fire alarms give occupants the seconds needed to get out of the house during a fire, the post said.

Jenna Millikan: 425-339-3035; jenna.millikan@heraldnet.com. X: @JennaMillikan