WOODINVILLE, Wash. — A man died early Monday morning in a house fire off Little Bear Creek Road in Woodinville after flames quickly swept through the home.
The victim’s girlfriend managed to escape the burning residence by climbing through a window.
The fire broke out around 2:15 a.m. in the kitchen area while someone was cooking. Fire crews were able to knock down the blaze within minutes, preventing damage to adjacent properties despite flames burning just feet away from neighboring homes and trees.
The victim’s girlfriend was inside a bedroom when the fire started and called 911 for assistance.
Heather Chadwick, a spokesperson for Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue, said dispatchers helped guide the woman out of the window safely.
As the woman climbed out the window, her boyfriend remained trapped inside as thick smoke and heavy flames poured from the house.
Fire crews rushed into the home to try and reach him.
“They were able to knock down the fire a little bit and find the one trapped person. Unfortunately, when they brought him outside, he was deceased,” Chadwick said.
Investigators confirmed that a cat was also found dead inside the house.
Additionally, a neighbor’s surveillance camera captured video of the fire erupting and rapidly spreading through the structure.
A nearby neighbor commented on how close the flames came to reaching adjacent structures.
“Incredible that it didn’t light the tree directly next to the house on fire, which could have lit all the other houses,” the neighbor said.
The neighbor also remembered the victim, adding, “Yeah, I feel bad. Those poor people... to lose everything. It’s bad. Yeah, [he] was a nice guy.”
The Fire Marshal is actively investigating the cause of the fire.
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