MUKILTEO — Two people were injured in a fire Wednesday afternoon that destroyed their home and spread to the neighbor’s house, leaving both families displaced.
The fire started about 2:15 p.m. along 110th Place SW in the Harbour Pointe neighborhood of Mukilteo. The cause is under investigation.
A man and a woman who live in the destroyed house were taken to the hospital, Mukilteo Fire Chief Chris Alexander said. The man had burns to his hands, and both apparently suffered from smoke inhalation. Their ages weren’t made public Wednesday.
At least two vehicles parked outside their home burned.
The firefighting was complicated by a gas line between the two houses. Smoke was visible for miles and flying embers touched off small fires in nearby yards. Crews expected to remain on scene into Thursday morning.
The second house also sustained extensive damage and “won’t be livable for awhile,” Alexander said.
It’s been home to the Kornegay family for 24 years. They were trying to find a place to stay Wednesday night, said Teresa Kornegay, 53. She and her husband raised two kids, now 21 and 19, in that house.
Her husband was working in Mukilteo and made it home first, she said.
“He called me on the phone and said our house is on fire,” she said.
Someone knocked down the fence to free their two dogs. A neighbor took the animals inside her home, Kornegay said. There was no word on whether the family’s belongings can be salvaged, she said. Water was seeping throughout the house after the firefighting efforts. They were hopeful her son’s car in the garage was undamaged.
“The neighbor’s house is burnt to the ground,” she said. “Ours might have some rooms that are OK.”
Kenny Slade, 66, lives nearby. He was driving to the bank and saw the smoke.
“I came down here to make sure it had been reported,” he said. “I was one of the first people here.”
He saw the first house in flames and the fire spreading to the shake roof next door. He saw the homeowners from the first house trying to stop the fire. Popping sounds were coming from the garage, he said.
The American Red Cross was assisting those displaced. Mukilteo firefighters were joined by crews from Lynnwood, Fire District 1 and Fire District 7. The Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office is investigating.
Rikki King: 425-339-3449; rking@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
