Fire destroys home east of Lake Stevens

LAKE STEVENS — A fire Monday afternoon destroyed a house east of Lake Stevens, fire officials said.

Around 3:30 p.m., the fire broke out in the living room of the home in the 1500 block of OK Mill Road near Machias, according to Snohomish Regional Fire and Rescue.

The residents evacuated. Initial reports stated seven people lived there, said fire department spokesperson Kaitlin King. No one was injured.

When crews arrived, flames were coming out of a window and part of the house was black with smoke, fire officials said. Crews discovered the nearest fire hydrant was over a mile away, so they had to pull a half mile of hose from a water tender to attack the fire.

Initially, firefighters tried to save the house, but it was too late, according to the fire department. The battalion chief ordered all firefighters out of the house.

The fire was particularly difficult to extinguish because the home was built nearly a century ago, so the materials were more sturdy, fire officials said.

The Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office was investigating the cause of the fire. Officials dispatched Red Cross to assist the displaced residents.

Jake Goldstein-Street: 425-339-3439; jake.goldstein-street@heraldnet.com; X: @GoldsteinStreet.