EVERETT — Neighbors who spotted smoke and flames in a bedroom window at a home near Everett Mall Tuesday afternoon helped salvage the structure.

No one was home when the fire broke out in a house in the 2100 block of Bedal Lane. A dog that took refuge in the garage was relieved to see the firefighters from Fire Districts 1 and 7 who responded to the neighbors’ call about 2:45 p.m., District 1 spokeswoman Leslie Hynes said.

They were able to keep the fire from spreading beyond the bedroom where it started, but there was heavy smoke damage throughout the house, she said. Damaged is estimated at $80,000.

Investigators had not yet determined the cause of the fire as of Tuesday night. The family of seven who lived in the house was being helped by volunteers to find another place to stay.

Snohomish County

Burn ban no more: A burn ban has been lifted in Snohomish County now that lingering air pollution has been blown away by windy weather.

Residents can now have legal fires in all wood stoves and fireplaces again. Burning yard waste outdoors is allowed in rural areas that do not have permanent burning restrictions.

The ridge of high pressure that had been trapping soot, dust and particles close to the ground moved out of the area Tuesday, allowing air pollution to disperse.

Guilty plea: A Bothell computer consultant charged with sending two package bombs in the mail, one of them to his ex-wife, pleaded guilty in Atlanta on Tuesday. Christopher J. Bishop, 34, told authorities he sought only to intimidate his ex-wife, Tracy Kilgroe-Bishop, with whom he shares custody of a 4-year-old daughter. Prosecutors say he was irate over alimony and child-support payments to his ex-wife. Kilgroe-Bishop suffered burns on her hands and face July 18 when she opened a package bomb sent to her at Apex Supply Co. in Norcross, Ga., where she works. A second explosive was sent to an Apex manager in Lawrenceville, Ga., to make it appear the company was being targeted, prosecutors said. No one was injured there. Bishop could face up to 50 years in prison when he is sentenced in January.

From Herald staff and wire reports