LYNNWOOD – A couple escaped unharmed Thursday night after they discovered the back of their home was engulfed in flames just after finishing dinner, fire officials reported.
The retirement-age couple heard their smoke detectors go off, then noticed the flames about 7 p.m. They fled their home in the 800 block of 169th Place SW, said Leslie Hynes, spokeswoman for Fire District 1.
The one-story home was declared a total loss, with a damage estimate of $400,000. The couple are insured, Hynes said.
“The fire spread really quickly, so by the time we got there it was fully involved,” Hynes said. “It was an unbelievable amount of damage.”
Firefighters from District 1 and District 7 fought the blaze from the outside because it wasn’t safe to send anyone in. The roof had collapsed on two sides of the home, Hynes said.
The cause is under investigation.
The Red Cross was called, but the couple will likely be staying with friends or family.
Man wanted for scam spotted in King County
A man wanted in connection with a check-cashing scam was recently spotted in King County.
Lynnwood investigators, along with police in Bellevue and King County, have been searching for William Bruce Jones since December.
A security guard at Green River College in Auburn spotted Jones on Monday, according to a court affidavit filed Wednesday. The man recognized Jones from a news report and attempted to stall him until police arrived, but Jones fled.
Police believe that Jones is connected to a group of men who have bilked mall shoppers out of thousands of dollars by persuading teenagers to cash stolen or fraudulent checks.
The victims are offered a cut if they deposit the bogus checks in their accounts and turned the cash over to the suspects. The checks later bounce.
Jones is black, 6 feet 1 inch tall and weighs about 165 pounds. He has black hair and brown eyes.
Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Lynnwood police at 425-775-1976.
Seattle: Sentencing for Tulalip official delayed
Sentencing for the former chairman of the Tulalip Tribes Housing Authority in federal court has been delayed until April.
Dale Micheal Jones, 62, pleaded guilty in October in U.S. District Court to embezzling $23,500 in federal housing grant money entrusted to the tribes. Jones was scheduled for sentencing today, but now is set to appear at 9:30 a.m. April 22 before Judge Robert Lasnik in Seattle.
Under federal law, Jones could be sentenced to a maximum of 10 years in prison and fined up to $250,000, but more likely will be sentenced to probation or six to 12 months of confinement, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Tate London. Jones also agreed to make restitution.
Granite Falls: Police dog tracks 2 suspects
A police dog tracked down two men Thursday after they were seen running from a methamphetamine lab that later caught fire.
Snohomish County sheriff’s deputies tried to talk to the two men about a stolen vehicle found behind their property on Wednesday, said Sgt. John Flood, spokesman for the Snohomish Regional Drug Task Force.
The men saw the deputies and ran from the residence, a travel trailer in the 14300 block of Burn Road.
About 20 minutes later, the porch on the trailer caught fire, Flood said. The fire appears to have been caused by meth production, he said.
Deputies searched for the suspects on the ground, while the department’s helicopter crew searched from the air.
A police dog tracked the men about a quarter-mile south of trailer, Flood said. They likely stopped running and hid in the woods once the helicopter joined the search, he said.
The task force was expected to dismantle the lab on Thursday. Investigators are expected to return today to test for contaminants.
Maltby: Fire forces 50 from business
About 50 people were evacuated from a business Thursday morning following a small fire. No one was injured inside a paint booth following a flash fire at TSM in the 8500 block of Maltby Road.
Sprinklers inside the booth extinguished the fire, said Jim Evans, deputy chief for Snohomish County Fire District 7.
The fire was contained to the booth and damage was minimal, Evans said. The cause of the fire is under investigation by the Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office.
Everett: Fire causes minor damage to garage
A fire caused minor damage to a garage Wednesday night.
Firefighters were called about 8:15 p.m. to the garage in the 3200 block of Laurel Drive. The fire was knocked down and contained to one corner, Everett Fire Battalion Chief Roger Westlund said. An unattended candle caused the fire.
No one was injured and damage was minimal, Westlund said.
From Herald staff reports
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