Investigators suspect a malfunctioning propane stove sparked a fire in the early morning hours of Friday, Aug. 15 that sent two people to the hospital and destroyed a home on Martha Lake.
The blaze was reported at 1:16 a.m. at a single-story lakefront home in the 16200 block of Larch Way, said Leslie Hynes, spokeswoman for Snohomish County Fire District 1.
The two men renting the home were exposed to heat and smoke, she said. Both were taken to Providence Everett Medical Center’s Colby Campus.
The home was fully engulfed in flames when firefighters arrived, Hynes said. “The fire had heavily damaged the structure before firefighters arrived. It was too dangerous to send crews inside the house, so we fought the fire from the outside,” Hynes said.
Firefighters were also concerned about a 125-gallon propane tank that was shooting out flames when they arrived.
A propane stove fueled by the tank apparently had malfunctioned and is suspected to have caused the fire, according to investigators from the Snohomish County Fire Marshal’s Office. Damages are estimated at $140,000.
The men renting the house did not have insurance. They are getting help from the American Red Cross.
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