LYNNWOOD — Three people were rescued by a neighbor and firefighters after a garage fire spread to the house where the trio was sleeping early Friday morning.

A neighbor spotted flames coming from a garage in the 1900 block of 198th Place SW and called 911 about 12:30 a.m. The fire quickly spread to the roof and attic of the nearby house, said Kristen Thorstenson with Snohomish County Fire District 1.

Firefighters alerted three adults sleeping inside the house and helped them outside, she said. Smoke detectors were sounding at the time firefighters were evacuating the residents.

The fire is being investigated by the Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office. The blaze likely started near a refrigerator in the garage, deputy fire marshal Michael Ray said.

Damage is estimated at more than $100,000.

The Snohomish County Chapter of the American Red Cross assisted the residents and neighbors were caring for the family’s two dogs.

Lake Stevens: Grants aid fire safety training

Two Snohomish County fire districts are set to receive about $25,000 in federal fire fighting grants, the Federal Emergency Management Agency announced Friday.

Lake Stevens fire is getting about $15,000 to pay for safety training program for elementary school children, Deputy Chief Dave Lingenfelter said. The fire and injuries prevention classes have reached about 3,000 students in about 130 classrooms, he said. The new money will extend the program.

Snohomish County Fire District 17, which serves the Granite Falls area, received about $10,000, which will pay for the firefighters to become certified commercial building inspectors, Lt. Eric Cole said.

This way, firefighters soon will be able to certify that businesses in the city are in compliance with state fire codes.

Since 2001, more than $3.3 billion has been distributed to fire departments nationwide in the federal fire grant program, officials said.

Edmonds: Alleged bank robber arrested

Police said they arrested a Mountlake Terrace man on Friday suspected in nine bank robberies in the region since March, including a Bank of America branch in a Top Food and Drugs store on Highway 99 Thursday.

The man, 24, is believed to be connected to several robberies at Washington Mutual branches inside Fred Meyer stores since March 3, FBI spokeswoman Robbie Burroughs said.

FBI agents suspect the lanky, tall man in seven WaMu robberies, all inside grocery stores, she said. Then he allegedly hit two other banks that also were located inside grocery stores, she said.

Mountlake Terrace police spotted the man’s vehicle sometime after the 3:30 p.m. robbery in Edmonds on Thursday. An investigation led to his arrest.

The man was booked into the King County Jail and agents are pursuing federal charges.

Edmonds police arrested a second suspect connected to Thursday’s robbery, Sgt. Don Anderson said.

From Herald staff reports