MOUNTLAKE TERRACE – Family and friends held hands and prayed outside the apartment building where two young boys were killed in a two-alarm fire Monday.
The boys, ages 4 and 6, were home with their father and other family members when a fire broke out about 11:30 a.m. in the Village Court Apartments. Michael V. Martina / The Herald
A large black column of smoke could be seen for miles around the apartment complex in the 5000 block of 212th Street SW.
Initially, the boys’ father was unable to find them, Mountlake Terrace Police Chief Scott Smith said.
He rescued the boys’ grandfather, and their aunt saved a 13-month-old girl also inside the apartment, said Leslie Hynes, spokeswoman for Snohomish County Fire District 1.
The father tried to go back in for the boys but was overcome by heat and smoke, Smith said.
“He couldn’t breathe or see anything,” said Daniece Alopepe, the boys’ aunt.
Alopepe also tried to reach the boys, breaking out a window.
It was too late, she said.
Firefighters fought back the flames blazing through two apartments. The heat blew out the windows of nearby units.
| The employer of the mother whose two children were killed in an apartment fire in Mountlake Terrace on Monday is taking donations to help the family.
The Grocery Outlet is taking donations of cash, toys, household goods and clothing at its Lynnwood store, 19800 44th Ave. W. The store is open 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Donations also can be made at any Bank of America branch to the Talaga family. |
Crews knocked down the fire but weren’t able get inside the apartment for about 10 minutes, Fire Chief Ed Widdis said.
The boys were found in a walk-in closet in the bedroom where the fire likely started, Hynes said.
“It’s entirely possible they were trying to escape,” Smith said.
Their names were not released, and the cause of their deaths is pending autopsies by the Snohomish County Medical Examiner’s Office.
The boys’ father suffered burns and smoke inhalation and was treated at Stevens Memorial Hospital in Edmonds.
Dozens of family and friends streamed into the apartment complex and gathered outside Monday afternoon. They embraced and held hands, many with tears streaming down their faces. Dan Bates / The Herald
“I can’t even imagine what they are going through,” Smith said.
The family declined to talk to reporters, Smith said.
The Snohomish County Chapter of the American Red Cross tended to the three families displaced by the fire, offering food, water and clothing. Housing also was found for them, disaster services manager Coni Conner of Bothell said.
“It is tragic that they lost two children,” said Arne Yager of Woodinville, a spokesman for the property owners. “They have virtually lost everything. Any way the public can help them get back on their feet, that would be appreciated. That is where the focus should be right now.”
The family has lived in the apartments for about two years.
“I know they are a close-knit family,” said Barbara Adkins, apartment resident manager.
“Everybody in the complex is a family,” said Sue Lee, 40. “We all hang out together. The kids play all through the complex.”
Built in 1968, the apartment complex has seven buildings, each with four units. There have been minor electrical issues, but nothing unusual for a building of that age, Yager said.
Police and fire investigators said that they didn’t know what caused the fire, although it appeared to be accidental, Hynes said.
Family members reported that no smoke alarms sounded, Smith said.
Investigators were unable to confirm the claim Monday. Smith, however, reminded the public to remember to test their smoke detectors and regularly change the batteries.
“It literally makes a difference between life and death,” he said.
Jenny Lynn Zappala, editor of the Lynnwood Enterprise, contributed to this report.
Reporter Diana Hefley: 425-339-3463 or hefley@heraldnet.com.
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