MONROE — Two boys playing with a lighter Saturday evening started a two-alarm blaze at an apartment complex.
Firefighters from six different fire districts rushed to an apartment building in the 600 block of Terrace Street shortly after 6 p.m., spokeswoman Debbie Willis said. They found a garage beneath the building engulfed in flames.
Three people who were inside a unit above the garage when the fire started were alerted by a neighbor and got out safely. The rest of the 10-unit building was evacuated as well. Nobody was hurt.
Two boys, ages 5 and 7, who live at the complex admitted to investigators they had been playing with a lighter in the garage before the fire started, Willis said.
The apartment above the garage suffered extensive damage from smoke and flames. The family of three living in the unit were forced to find other arrangements.
Snohomish County Red Cross volunteers helped the family find a temporary place to stay and provided funds for groceries and clothing, Red Cross spokesman Skip DeHennis said.
Fire investigators estimated the damage at about $150,000 Willis said.
She urged parents to keep lighters and matches locked away and to teach children that lighters and matches are not toys. Children should tell an adult immediately if they find matches or a lighter. And parents should install working smoke alarms one every level of the home.
The Monroe Fire District offers a fire-setter intervention program for children from pre-school age through teens, designed to teach them about the dangers of experimenting with fire, Willis said. Trained personnel assess children’s behavior and offer guidelines on how to deal with a child’s fascination with fire.
To learn more, contact the Fire Prevention Division at 360-805-0338.
Katya Yefimova: 425-339-3452, kyefimova@heraldnet.com.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.
