A smoke alarm alerted a resident to a Kent house fire that started when a kitchen stove burner was unintentionally left on.
The Monday, May 5 fire displaced a family of nine, although just one person was home when the fire broke out, according to a May 8 email from Puget Sound Fire spokesperson Pat Pawlak. There were no injuries.
Firefighters responded at about 8:42 a.m. to a kitchen fire in the 20100 block of 102nd Avenue SE, according to Pawlak. It took firefighters about 15 minutes to extinguish the fire. Eight fire department units and 18 personnel responded.
“The person that was at home was upstairs and was alerted of the fire when the smoke alarm sounded,” Pawlak said. “This situation, while tragic, shows the importance of having working smoke alarms in your house. Smoke alarms should be tested once a month to ensure they are working properly. Smoke alarms do save lives.”
The fire was accidental and caused when a burner on the stove was unintentionally left on, Pawlak said. The stovetop fire extended to the kitchen cabinets and caused smoke damage throughout the house.
Talk to us
Please share your story tips by emailing editor@kentreporter.com.
To share your opinion for publication, submit a letter through our website https://www.kentreporter.com/submit-letter/. Include your name, address and daytime phone number. (We’ll only publish your name and hometown.) Please keep letters to 300 words or less.
A smoke alarm helped a resident escape from a house fire. COURTESY PHOTO, Puget Sound Fire
