NEWCASTLE -- A residential fire here Friday afternoon destroyed a home and sent one of the occupants to the hospital with minor burns. Thanks to working smoke detectors, a 16-year-old girl was able to exit the home without injury.

Investigators from Bellevue and King County were working to determine the origin and cause of the fire, which started around 1:30 p.m. in the 6400 block of Lake Washington Boulevard Southeast.

The owner of a gas station less than a block away called 911 when he heard the smoke detectors and saw smoke coming from the home. Firefighters arrived in five minutes to find the back of the house engulfed in flames. The second and third floors were completed destroyed by the fire.

Firefighters from Bellevue and Mercer Island worked for just under an hour to extinguish the flames. No firefighter injuries were reported. The initial damage is estimated about $500,000.

The family did have insurance and were being assisted by members of their church.

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