POULSBO – Two men were displaced by two separate home fires late Nov. 21 and early Nov. 22, and one man was fortunate to have escaped with his life, Poulsbo Fire Department spokeswoman Jody Matson reported.
Fighting the fires was complicated by arcing powerlines, a heavy tile roof, and no nearby hydrants, Matson reported.
The first home fire occurred at 8:30 p.m. Nov. 21 off Highway 3 near Equestrian Lane. Poulsbo Fire Department, North Kitsap Fire and Rescue, and Central Kitsap Fire and Rescue responded. When firefighters arrived they found the house fully involved.
“The male occupant was not home at the time of the fire. Apparently, a neighbor had gone into the home earlier and lit a fire in a wood stove in order to warm the home,” Matson reported Nov. 22. “The exact cause of the fire is unknown at this time. The Kitsap County Fire Marshal is investigating.”
The second residential home fire occurred just after 4 a.m. Nov. 22, off Widme Road near Lincoln Road. A 63-year-old man woke up because he heard popping noises and small explosions. He found his back deck and back wall of his house covered in flames and smoke, and electrical wires arcing and exploding.
Firefighters from Poulsbo Fire Department, Bainbridge Island Fire Department and North Kitsap Fire and Rescue responded. When firefighters arrived on scene, they found the fire had moved into the ceiling and attic. “When we arrived, there were flames shooting 20 feet into the air,” Poulsbo Fire Department Capt. John Warnke said in a report by Matson.
There was a heavy cement tile roof over the garage, near the back deck. Within minutes the wall and roof collapsed into the garage and the fire quickly spread throughout the house.
The man explained he had cleaned his wood stove and put a paper bag full of ashes on his back deck the night before. He said, “It’s the popping sounds that woke me up. I later heard my smoke alarm but it was so far from my sleeping area that I realize they were adequate.”
“Officials say this demonstrates the importance of having interconnected smoke alarms,” Matson reported. “When one trips, the whole series of alarms trip throughout the home. This also demonstrates the importance of disposing of your ashes in a metal container with a lid, and putting this container away from the house.”
The Kitsap County Fire Marshal is investigating the fire. The man had home owner’s insurance and declined any assistance, stating that he had family in the area.
Fire officials report it’s important to have a working smoke alarm on every level of your home, outside each sleeping area, and in every bedroom. “You double your chance of survival in a home fire simply by having working smoke alarms,” Matson said. “Please call your local fire department if you need assistance with alarms.”
