A pinched electrical cord was the cause of a fatal North Seattle fire early Sunday morning, Oct. 14, according to the Seattle Fire Department blog, Fire Line. The fire killed one man and injured another.
Fire Alarm Center dispatchers received a call at 3:32 a.m. reporting a fire in an apartment unit in the 10500 block of Greenwood Ave N. Heavy black smoke was pouring from the bottom floor unit of a two-story apartment complex when fire fighters responded; witnesses said one man may have still been inside.
Heavy black smoke and flames rolled through the apartment. A deceased male was found 10 feet from the entrance. It took crews about half-an-hour to completely extinguish the flames.
A resident who lived above the flaming unit received smoke inhalation and was treated by paramedics.
The damage estimate is $250,000 to the structure and $50,000 damage to contents. The downstairs unit is uninhabitable due to damage, but the upstairs unit is still being determined.
Because a working smoke alarm was not found in the unit which caught on fire, SFD gave a reminder to people in the Fire Line blog:
"The Seattle Fire Department recommends you install at least one smoke alarm on every level of your home including one in every bedroom. Also you should test your smoke alarms each month to make sure they are working. In order to keep your smoke alarm working properly, clean the units each month of dust and cobwebs, Change your smoke alarm batteries at least one a year and replace the smoke alarm once every ten years."