A man believed to be in his late 30s died and a woman in her early 60s was hospitalized after a house fire tore through a home in central Everett on Monday. Fire crews say working smoke alarms alerted the woman upstairs, but she could not reach the man because the flames had grown too intense.
Firefighters were sent to the 7300 block of McDougall Avenue after multiple 911 callers reported smoke and flames coming from the house, according to HeraldNet. The first engine arrived within minutes, and firefighters pushed into the house to begin suppression efforts and search for anyone trapped inside, per the Seattle Times.
Crews described challenging interior fire conditions that complicated both the search and the firefighting push, a situation attributed to the Everett Fire Department. An adult male was ultimately found deceased inside the residence. The Snohomish County Medical Examiner's Office will determine his official identification along with the cause and manner of death, HeraldNet reports.
Smoke Alarm Sounded, But Flames Moved Faster
According to KIRO 7, there were working smoke alarms in the home, which alerted the homeowner. The station reports that the woman tried to get to the man upstairs but was unable to reach him due to the intense fire conditions. The Seattle Times, citing early information, similarly reported that a smoke alarm alerted the woman upstairs when the fire started, but she could not reach the man because of how fast the flames spread.
The woman suffered smoke inhalation and minor burns. She was transported to Providence Regional Medical Center Everett for treatment, HeraldNet notes. Firefighters brought the blaze under control in approximately 20 minutes.
Investigators Still Working to Determine What Happened
The Everett Fire Marshal's Office is investigating what caused the fire, while the Everett Police Department is investigating the death, according to the Seattle Times. Neither agency has released additional findings publicly.
House fires with a trapped occupant have struck Everett before. In a separate incident, more than 30 firefighters responded to a home near Center Road and 8th Avenue West, where crews found a man in his 40s dead on the first floor while rescuing a man in his 80s from a second-floor bedroom with life-threatening injuries, according to FOX 13 Seattle. In another local blaze, a woman was injured after jumping from a second-floor window to escape, Yahoo News reported.
No further details about the identities of those involved in Monday's fire have been released as the medical examiner's and fire marshal's reviews continue.
