LAKE STEVENS — A house in a mobile home park was destroyed in a blaze Wednesday afternoon. No injuries were reported, but the family who lived there lost all their possessions and as many as 10 pets died in the fire.
Firefighters responded to a call to the 9200 block of 13th Place SE near Lake Stevens about 2:30 p.m. when flames shot into the air, reaching the height of surrounding cedar trees, neighbors said.
Two other houses were threatened. By 4 p.m., the fire was out and one other home had sustained minor damage, Lake Stevens Fire Deputy Chief Dave Lingenfelter said.
The cause of the fire is being investigated by the Snohomish County fire marshal, he said.
The home is owned by John and Lenna Ledfors, said their daughter Jennie Telford, who also lived at the home with two of her teenage children.
She wasn’t at home when the fire started but said her parents were baby-sitting their great-grandchild. They told her the fire started on the back porch and quickly engulfed the house, leaving little time to get out, Telford said.
The homeowners tried unsuccessfully to put out the blaze with a fire extinguisher, Lingenfelter said. Everyone in the home got out, but the family believes several dogs and cats and a rabbit may have perished.
As a hobby, John Ledfors collected antique guns and he had gunpowder stored at the residence, Lingenfelter said. There were some minor explosions.
Fire crews responding to the blaze included those from Lake Stevens, Marysville, Monroe, Arlington, Clearview and Gold Bar. Extra resources were needed because of the hot day, Lingenfelter said.
American Red Cross disaster relief workers from the Snohomish County chapter responded to the fire, Red Cross chapter spokesman Kris Krischano said.
The family was provided with temporary lodging, food, clothing and help in getting medications lost in the fire. The Red Cross plans to monitor the family for additional immediate emergency needs, Krischano said. Donations to Red Cross for the victims can be sent to the chapter, 2530 Lombard Ave., Everett, WA 98201, or made online at www.snohomishcounty. redcross.org.
The neighborhood also plans to help the family, said Claudia Hewitt, who is president of the community’s homeowners association.
Hewitt said she and her daughter, Debbie Harris, alerted neighbors after they heard a popping noise and saw a big ball of black smoke and then flames at the Ledfors home.
“They have nothing left,” Hewitt said.
Those who wish to donate to the Ledfors and Telford families can bring donations to the Forest Vista Estates Clubhouse at 1305 93rd Ave. SE near Lake Stevens, Hewitt said.
Reporter Gale Fiege: 425-339-3427 or gfiege@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
