Published January 13 2016
A two-alarm fire early Wednesday heavily damaged a Crossroads house, but the family inside was able to escape unharmed because of a smoke detector and a teen boy's quick action.
The boy, in the house on the 15200 block of Northeast Third Street, awoke at approximately 2 a.m. to the smell of smoke and the sound of a smoke detector. He alerted his brother and mother, and the mother found light smoke in the kitchen and heavy, pressurized smoke in the garage. The three occupants immediately left the home and called 911.
Bellevue firefighters arrived on the scene five minutes later and found the two-story house fully involved with fire from all four sides of the structure. They quickly attained a water supply from a nearby hydrant and began a direct attack on the fire with multiple hose lines from the exterior.
Firefighters from Eastside Fire and Rescue, Kirkland, Redmond and Mercer Island also battled the blaze. The fire was under control in 28 minutes.
A home 10 feet east of the involved house only sustained superficial damage because of the effective fire attack.
The origin and cause of the fire are under investigation. There was approximately $550,000 damage to the homes. There were no firefighter injuries.
All seven occupants and two pets from both homes have shelter and are uninjured. This is a testament to the importance of testing and maintaining your smoke detectors and having an evacuation plan with your family.