LYNNWOOD — George Ward, 72, was awakened by a loud sound early Dec. 22 and found the area surrounding his space heater on fire.
Ward rushed out of his home to a neighbor’s house where they called 911, according to fire officials.
Ward was eventually transported to the hospital for smoke inhalation.
The two story with basement house at 17821 32nd Avenue West, which sits on more than seven acres of tree- covered land in Lynnwood, was totally demolished by fire by about 6:30 a.m.
Firefighters had a challenge reaching the property which had limited access and was fenced off and overgrown by trees and brush, said Lynnwood’s acting fire marshal Leroy McNulty. When firefighters reached the house it was fully engulfed in flames and the roof had collapsed.
“Because the house was filled with an accumulation of debris the fire spread rapidly,” McNulty said.
According to fire and police officials the property hasn’t had sewer or water service for about a decade and Ward had been living there for much longer than that with just electricity, officials said.
Because the house was unsafe and could become a public nuisance, the city’s building official called for the house to be torn down the same day of the fire.
Within a few hours of the start of the fire a contracted excavating crew came to the scene and pulled down the rest of the house so firefighters had access to continue to put out left over hot spots.
The American Red Cross is helping Ward.
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