Published April 14 2015
A fire that started Monday evening on an attached deck destroyed a single-family house in Newscastle, near Interstate 405. All five tenants in the two-story rental home at the time of the fire escaped without injuries.
The Bellevue Fire Department responded to a 911 call at approximately 8:15 p.m. When the first crews arrived at the scene in the 10900 block of Southeast 66th Street, the house was engulfed in flames that could be seen from I-405 and Mercer Island. Callers also reported hearing multiple explosions.
A department spokesperson credited working smoke detectors on both floors of the residence with alerting some of the occupants who were asleep, allowing them to evacuate the house unharmed.
The cause of the fire has not yet been determined. The loss was estimated at $250,000.
Firefighters from Station 4 in Factoria contained the fire, worked to remove personal items from the home and evaluated the condition of the occupants. Other fire companies from Bellevue, Mercer Island, and Eastside Fire and Rescue assisted; King County Sheriff's Deputies helped with traffic control and security. Under a formal agreement, Bellevue provides fire protection services to Newcastle.
The Bellevue Fire Department urges the public to test smoke detectors monthly and change batteries annually. The start of daylight savings time is a convenient day to replace batteries.