Eight fire engines responded to a large fire in the attic of a house in the Juanita neighborhood on Monday morning.
Fire officials said they received the call at 10:45 a.m. in the 9700 block of N.E. 142nd Court near the Bothell city limits in Kirkland. Firefighters from Kirkland, Redmond, Northshore, Woodinville and Bothell, along with the Kirkland Police Department responded to the fire that sent a plume of smoke into the sky that could be seen from miles away.
“There were some good flames before the water got going,” said neighbor Shawn Barrow, who lives in the neighborhood and was standing outside watching firefighters put out the flames.
Kirkland Fire Battalion Chief Mike Haschak said that no one in the house was injured in the fire.
“We have some more investigating to do but so far there is no one hurt (from KFD),” Haschak. “Upon our arrival there was heavy smoke and fire.”
Haschak said that fire was coming out of vents in the roof from the attic.
“Fires get up in attics and they are tinder dry,” said Haschak. “The roof was sagging and we could not risk any firefighters up here to cut holes in it. Now we have to chase down every little hot spot.”
The house sits in a cul de sac at the bottom of a dead-end hill.
“It took them a good 10 minutes to get water on it,” said Barrow. “I saw two guys come out of the house.”
The first firefighters had to lay a dry line from a hydrant at the top of the hill to the bottom, past eight houses and them use the 500 gallons in their truck to start putting water on the blaze. The next fire crew to respond used the dry line from the hydrant.
Joey Buong, whose family just moved into the house next door to the one on fire was not able to return home after learning of the fire.
“My brother saw the smoke and called me at school,” said Buong. “It is kind of weird that this happens in the first month that we are here.”
The fire was contained to the one house and did not spread to neighboring property.
Buong said that his neighbor’s house was an active place with a family.
“They have a lot of people there all the time,” said Buong. “I think they have a band or something.”
Firefighters moved three drum kits out of the house to the sidewalk.
