Adding to the list of misfortunes that resulted from a wind storm late last week are fires that broke out in Shoreline and Lake Forest Park.
One of the fires is suspected to be caused by a candle left burning after electricity was lost and the other fire was likely caused by an inverter used to power appliances.
All inhabitants of the homes managed to escape and no serious injuries were reported.
At 12:30 a.m. early Monday morning, a fire broke out at a Shoreline home in the 1100 block of 150th Court Northeast, where a married couple lives, said Shoreline Fire Department spokesperson Melanie Granfors.
The couple were alerted to the fire by a smoke alarm and escaped their home safely. Smoke and flames were visible when firefighters arrived, said Granfors, and three vehicles and the whole garage were engulfed as was as a living space above the garage.
“The home was basically destroyed and is unlivable and unoccupiable.” said Granfors. “Red Cross called to help them find some place to stay.”
The fire started in the driveway garage area in a vehicle. The cause of the fire is listed as accidental, but investigators are looking at the fact that the man was powering some appliances in the house through his vehicle, using an inverter. An inverter is most commonly used when camping, to convert power from a vehicle, said Granfors.
“It wasn’t anything unusual or unwise, but we have no idea how he was using this,” said Granfors, “and whether he was using it correctly.”
Northshore Fire Department firefighters assisted and the fire was under control and out within 15-20 minutes. It was an “indirect storm-related fire” said Granfors, as a result of the couple being without electricity due to the recent wind storm.
In Lake Forest Park, a fire was reported early in the morning after the wind storm, at 2:57 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 15. Upon arrival to the home, in the 16700 block of 37th Avenue Northeast, firefighters discovered flames coming out of a daylight basement. The flames were extending through the attic and roof.
The fire was upgraded to a second alarm fire, summoning units from Shoreline and Bothell fire departments to the scene. Because of extreme heat and flames, firefighters were unable to enter the home and surrounding homes were evacuated by police.
Firefighters were forced to deploy a defensive attack strategy because of the record-breaking windstorm, which intensified the flames. The fire was under control in an hour.
The home’s occupants evacuated the residence upon discovering the fire. Three people were transported to the hospital for minor smoke inhalation. Several family pets were lost in the fire.
The cause of the fire is suspected to have been a candle left burning after electricity was lost in the wind storm, said Lawrence Canary, assistant fire marshal with King County Fire Investigation Unit.
“The house is probably a total loss,” Canary said.
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