Seattle, Washington – House Fire 25th Ave SW

Seattle, Washington (April 11, 2019) – A fire was reported on the second floor of a house on the 9200 block of  25th Avenue Northwest on Thursday afternoon. It was put under control within 30 minutes, and extinguished within two hours. None of the occupants were at home, and firefighters have reported no injuries.

Fire investigators have ruled the cause of the fire as accidental, with electrical wiring setting combustibles on fire in the void space between floors one and two. There has been an estimated loss of $100,00 to the contents and $300,000 to the structure itself.

About Fire

It is fortunate no one was injured in this particular fire. Fire caused by electrical means are not at all unusual – 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 cause of the accidents themselves, the NFPA lists several of then. Around 63 percent of electric fires involved wiring and related equipment like the one in this case, and 74 percent cited some sort of electrical failure or malfunction. Wire or cable insulation was the first item ignited in 32 percent of electrical distribution or lighting equipment in home structure fires. While we take the role of electricity for granted, one should never forget to use electricity without caution. Apart from the risks like electrocution and electrical burns, the electrical system can also pose a problem to the home itself. Proper identification and handling of electrical problems will be a key in securing fire safety for the home and all those that live in it.

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