Published August 13 2013
Bellevue firefighters responded on Monday evening to a sofa fire at a senior living facility. The resident of the apartment was transported to Harborview Medical Center in Seattle where she was treated for minor injuries.
Bellevue firefighters responded at 8:15 p.m. after an automatic smoke alarm was activated on the third floor of a building in the 13300 block of Southeast 26th Street. Ladders were used to access the apartment and firefighters quickly extinguished the fire after the building's automatic sprinkler system was activated.
The cause of the fire was a burning cigarette. A total of three apartments were impacted by water damage, but no residents were displaced from the building. A preliminary damage estimate was put at $75,000.
A staff member at the facility reportedly assisted the woman in exiting the apartment after she attempted to put out the fire with a pitcher of water. The staff member closed the door as they left, helping to prevent the fire from spreading.