9 cars burn in fire outside Lynnwood apartment complex

LYNNWOOD — Nine cars burned Wednesday morning outside a Lynnwood apartment complex, according to South County Fire.

Around 6 a.m., firefighters responded to an initial call of one vehicle on fire in the Whispering Cedars Apartment Complex at 6501 208th St. SW, South County Fire spokesperson Leslie Hynes said. Dispatchers then began receiving reports that multiple cars, all parked close together in the same lot, had caught fire too.

They arrived on the scene to find a total of nine cars in flames.

Hynes said dispatchers were able to put out the fire “pretty quickly” before it reached the apartment structures.

Of the nine vehicles, six sustained “significant damage,” Hynes said. Officials estimated the loss at $200,000.

Investigators had not determined the exact cause of the fire as of Wednesday, but confirmed it appeared to be an accident. Hynes said fire officials have not ruled out smoking as a potential cause.

It remained an active investigation Wednesday.