Lakewood, Washington – Three Homes Burned in 2-Alarm Fire

Lakewood, Washington (June 21, 2019) – Three homes on Union Avenue Southwest were damaged by a fire on early morning Friday. Fortunately, all residents were able to safely escape, and no injuries were reported among the responding fire crews.

Firefighters were called to the scene just before 1 a.m. on the 14400 block of Union Avenue Southwest after reports of a 2-alarm fire. By the time they arrived, the three houses were ablaze. According to investigation, the fire started in a vacant home, with the flames spreading out to the houses on each side. The fire spread due to the amount of debris left outside the vacant home. The cause of the fire is currently unknown, but is under investigation as suspicious in nature. The Red Cross is assisting the affected families with temporary shelter.

About Fire

The dangers of fire cannot be underestimated – the US Fire Administration has recorded 15 home fire fatalities this year within Washington.  Statistics from the NFPA have recorded that cooking equipment were the leading cause of home structure fires, home fire injuries, as well as being the second leading case of home fire deaths. Additionally, smoking materials are the leading case of home fire deaths, though it isn’t always the case every year. Always handle fire with wariness and see to it that fires are always extinguished after use. Remember also to assess the area where fire is going to be used and see to it that complete fire safety is practiced at all times.

Aside from cooking equipment and smoking materials, electrical causes remain to be one of the top causes for home fires according to the NFPA. Their Electrical Fire Reports to the U.S Fire Department since 2000 estimates around 45,000 to 55,000 cases of home fires being caused by electrical malfunction every year. Annual losses due to electrical fire result in 455 civilian deaths, 1, 500 civilian injuries and 1.5 billion of dollars in direct property damage. From these statistics, the risk from electrical fire is very real and should not be underestimated. As for the accidents themselves, the NFPA lists 63 percent involved wiring and related equipment, 74 percent cited some sort of electrical failure or malfunction, and wire or cable insulation was the first item ignited in 32 percent of electrical distribution or lighting equipment home structure fires. From these cases, one must always review and identify potential fire hazards and fix them to avoid damages, injuries or deaths.

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